School bus service distance requirements changing for 2025/2026 school year

Alberta Education has announced adjustments for the distance requirements for students accessing school bus service.
For the 2025/2026 school year, Kindergarten to Grade 6 students who live 1.6 kilometres or more from their designated schools will be eligible for school bus service. This represents a change from the current eligibility requirements of one kilometre for Kindergarten to Grade 6.
Due to the changes in distance eligibility, students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 who resided between 1-1.59 kilometers and were transported to their designated school in the 2024/2025 school year will no longer be eligible for transportation in the 2025/2026 school year.
For students in Grade 7 to Grade 12, the two-kilometre eligibility requirement will remain in place.
Prior to the 2024/2025 school year, the distance eligibility for all students was 2.4 kilmometres. But on Feb. 23, 2023, Alberta Education announced changes to transportation distance eligibility, to reduce it to one kilometres for Kindergarten to Grade 6 and two kilometres for Grade 7 to Grade 12 students.
School divisions were given the option to proceed with the new distance eligibilities one year early, and Lethbridge School Division made the decision to implement the changes, based on the understanding the government would incorporate the changes into regulations.
As Alberta Education has adjusted transportation eligibility requirements once again, the Division recognizes the change will impact families in the 2025/2026 school year and beyond.