Glossary of Terms

Designated School: A designated school is the school in which a board has enrolled a student in accordance with the Education Act.  The designated school is set according to the attendance boundary attached to the school.

Urban areas (Beaumont, Leduc and Devon):  Busing is provided for students to their designated school only.  Bus routes will be created to accommodate students in grade K – 6 who reside greater than 1 km home to school.  Bus routes will accommodate students in grade 7 – 12 who reside greater than 1.5 km home to school.  Students who reside less than these distances may be able to access a bus however a phone call to transportation at 780-955-6025 will be required to apply payment.

Rural areas:  Busing is available in all rural areas to the designated school only.

Rural Towns and Villages:  Limited busing may be available.

Special Needs Transportation:  Special Education students due to their needs may be directed to attend a school that fits their needs outside of their local school.  There is no fee for these students. Where transportation on a yellow bus is not available, the Division will enter into a parental agreement to transport the student.

Kindergarten students: The Black Gold School Division does not offer a noon-hour service.

Eligible Students: Students attending their designated school who reside 1 km or more away (K-Gr. 6), or 2 km or more away (Gr. 7-12).

Ineligible Students: Students attending their designated school who reside 1 km or more away (K-Gr. 6) or 2 km or more away (Gr. 7-12).

School of Choice Students:  Student who is attending a school that is not their designated school or a student who is being provided transportation to a school of a different School Board (STAR Catholic students serviced by Black Gold school buses). The Transportation Department reviews School of Choice availability after September 15.

Supplemental Bus – students accessing an additional bus to/from an alternate address.

Meeting a bus: School of choice students who are meeting a bus within the attendance boundary of the school they are choosing must meet the bus at a designated bus stop on the route. The bus must have room for them and must not displace students designated to attend that school. If the bus during the school year becomes full the choice student will be refunded and the transportation discontinued. Rural students meeting a bus are to be met at the stop by an adult both in the morning and afternoon. The Transportation Department will begin reviewing School of Choice requests (based on availability) after September 15.

GPS System:  Global Positioning system installed on the school bus that relays information to the transportation department on location and logistics of the operating school bus.

Bus Passes: Black Gold Transportation Department uses a computerized routing system called Bus Planner, a GPS system called Zonar and a student RFID scan card called Zpass.  All students riding on a school bus operated by the Division are required to have a bus pass scan card.

Zonar Systems:  The company used by transportation for GPS and bus passes.