"Route" to a safer school year!
Moving over 3,000 students to and from school each day is a significant task, but Foothills School Division’s transportation department makes it happen using 91 buses and 77 routes across the region. The division operates its own transportation system, employing 77 regular drivers and maintaining a roster of spare drivers to cover absences and route changes.
The department’s director, Sandy Stewart, notes that recruiting new drivers has changed significantly over the years. Traditionally, many drivers came from farm families or were retirees looking for part-time work, but this is no longer the norm. In response, the division has opened the door to younger parents by allowing drivers to bring children aged 3 and older on a trial basis, subject to safety requirements.
Becoming a school bus driver requires extensive training, which typically takes between four and six weeks and includes first aid, fire safety, and S endorsement certification. Drivers must also obtain a Class 2 licence. The division conducts all training in-house and evaluates each candidate individually.
Safety remains the top priority for the department, with a focus on reinforcing safety culture in the community. One of the department’s biggest concerns involves motorists ignoring school bus stop signs and flashing red lights, which Stewart believes stems from differences in school bus operating procedures between Calgary and surrounding areas.
Bus drivers wear many hats, building strong relationships with students and having a significant impact on their day. Drivers often become a trusted adult figure for students, and their role extends beyond simply providing transportation. The department aims to build a school bus safety culture in the community, and is asking motorists, parents, and community members to play a role in keeping children safe.
Despite the challenges, the division is benefiting from a stable workforce, with low driver turnover and some employees remaining behind the wheel for decades. One example is Darlene Malin, who drives Route 19 in Okotoks and is entering her 30th year with the division.
Operating a transportation department involves careful planning and maintenance, with rising costs for fuel, parts, and vehicles adding pressure to transportation budgets. The department’s success comes from experienced support staff, mechanics, and route planners who work together to keep the system running efficiently.
As students head back to school, Stewart is emphasizing the importance of community support in keeping children safe. “Bus safety is not just about the bus driver and the students,” she said. “It’s about bus drivers, school administration, community, and other motorists. It’s a big community.”
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