Message to Families – Student Transportation

Please see below for a message sent on behalf of Student Transportation of Eastern Ontario

Dear Parents, Guardians & Caregivers,

Re: School bus service for September

Since March 2023, Student Transportation of Eastern Ontario (STEO) has been working to secure student transportation services with the existing school bus companies that provide transportation for both the Upper Canada District School Board and the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario.

STEO is a not-for-profit organization that negotiates annual service contracts with school bus companies that own the buses and employ the school bus drivers.

STEO has gone to great lengths to secure transportation services from the school bus companies, however, STEO’s most recent proposal provided to the bus companies was rejected, despite offering a multi-year deal and significant financial increases. School bus companies have not agreed to a contract for September.

As unwelcome as this news may be for parents, guardians and caregivers, STEO wanted to provide this information so that you can be prepared, in the event of a transportation disruption.

At present, STEO and the bus companies remain very far apart with respect to the overall compensation requested. The total compensation value of the school bus operators’ position far exceeds funding available to school boards for transportation.

STEO transports more than 30,000 students to school daily and understands the stress this potential disruption will cause families. STEO continues to look at all options to providing transportation services for the 2023/2024 school year.

As the situation changes and more details are available, we will share those with you. For more information, please visit https://steo.ca/QandA.