Eligibility
Specialized transportation (small yellow school bus) is available to students who:
- Attend their designated school for their specialized program, system class, or unique setting, and
- Are assigned to specialized transportation as their mode; or
- Students with a transportation exception who have been assigned to specialized transportation
Many students from Grade 7 to 12 who are in specialized programs are designated to
Calgary Transit
Registration
Families register for specialized transportation using
MyCBE, every school year. Students who are registered during the school year are added to the closest existing stop with space, within the distance guideline. Processing times could be up to six weeks.
Paper forms are also available on
Forms You Need.
For more information on Registration, visit the
General Transportation page.
Alternate Address
Alternate addresses are accommodated on specialized transportation routes when the run has the time to accommodate the alternate address.
For more information on Alternate Addresses, please review the
General Transportation page.
Service Levels and Fees for 2025-2026
Service Levels
2025-2026 transportation service levels and fees are now available. Service levels vary based on the program a student attends, their grade level, the student’s individual abilities, and available modes of transportation.
|
Service Level |
Details
|
|
Curb-to-Curb,
Specialized Transportation
|
A bus stop is located as close to the home as possible.
|
|
Corner Stop,
Specialized Transportation
|
A bus stop is located within 1 km of the home address, using driving distance.
|
|
General Transportation
|
A bus stop is located within 1.6 km for elementary schools and 2.0 km for middle and junior high schools, using driving distance.
|
|
Calgary Transit
|
A trip plan exists that is around an hour and no more than one bus transfer.
|
Fees
Students assigned to specialized transportation (small yellow school bus) are not required to pay a fee.
Preparing for Riding the Bus
The time listed for your child’s bus stop is the departure time — not the arrival time. The bus will leave at that exact time and will not wait or return.
To avoid missing the bus, families should have students ready at the stop at least 5 minutes early.
Please make sure your child:
- has been to the washroom;
- is wearing appropriate outdoor clothing (and harness if required); and
- is waiting at the stop location outside
Also, please keep sidewalks are clear so that the student can move safely to and from the bus.
Student Absence Notification
When families know their child will not use specialized transportation for any period of time, they must notify the service provider as soon as possible. After a school bus stop has not been used for three weeks, it will be removed from the route.
Sibling Conditional Ridership
Families can apply for a sibling to ride the bus, even if that sibling doesn’t qualify for specialized transportation. This is called sibling conditional ridership.
To be eligible, the sibling must have a sibling who uses specialized transportation and attend the same school as the sibling.
Here is what to know about Sibling Conditional Ridership:
- It is not guaranteed
- Families must be apply for it every year using
MyCBE
- Service cannot be used until approved by Transportation Services
- There is an annual fee that is not adjusted based on actual usage.
- Spots are offered on a first-come, first-served basis
- Students must use an existing stop — new stops won’t be added
- If routes change or the bus fills up with eligible students, sibling riders may be removed.
Parents must plan for other transportation in case approval isn't received before school starts, or if the sibling loses their spot later in the year.
|
Grade |
Fee
|
|
1-9
|
$360
|
|
Kindergarten
|
$180 (1-way)
|
Payment in Lieu of Transportation
Working with the Manager of Transportation, the CBE and families can enter into an agreement for payment in lieu of specialized transportation. This means that families receive a daily rate based on distance travelled, to and from school. If families are interested, they can contact
transportation@cbe.ab.ca.
More Information
Please visit the
General Transportation page for information on:
- Bus Routes and Stops
- Getting to the Bus Stop
- Ride Times
- Parent Pick-Up at the Bus
- Cancellations
- Service Delays
- Provider Status Updates
