News

2026 - 2027 Student Transportation Information is only available through the Parent Portal

Requests for or changes to transportation for eligible students for the first day of school on Thursday, September 3, 2026 must be received by our office no later than Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

Due to the extremely high volume of requests received between the end of August and mid-September each year, we will once again be operating on a modified schedule for processing eligible requests:

• Requests received and approved by Wednesday, August 26, 2026 will be effective for Thursday, September 3, 2026
• Requests received and approved between Thursday, August 27, 2026 and Friday, September 4, 2026 will be effective for Thursday, September 10, 2026
• Requests received and approved between Tuesday, September 8, 2026 and Friday, September 11, 2026 will be effective for Wednesday, September 16, 2026

We will return to our normal 3 school day turnaround for approved requests starting Monday, September 14, 2026

HOW TO REQUEST OR MAKE CHANGES TO YOUR CHILD'S TRANSPORTATION:

For students attending:

Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales (All Thunder Bay Schools) - Contact your school office.

Conseil scolaire du Grand Nord (Thunder Bay) - Contact your school office.

Lakehead District School Board (Elementary schools) - Contact your school office.

Lakehead District School Board (Secondary schools) - Contact STSTB at 807 625-1660

Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board (All Schools) - Contact your school office.

During the summer break when schools are closed, requests can be submitted by calling Student Transportation Services of Thunder Bay directly.

The Bus Status App will be discontinued as of June 1, 2026.

Until the end of May, you may continue using the Bus Status App for delay and cancellation notifications. However, to ensure uninterrupted access to bus updates after June 1, we strongly encourage families to download the Chipmunk App today.

Why switch to the Chipmunk App?

Chipmunk offers everything the Bus Status App does — and more.

With the Chipmunk App, authorized student contacts can:

• Track their child’s bus in real time
•  View estimated arrival times at their bus stop
• Receive delay and cancellation notifications via push alerts

The Bus Status App only provids delay and cancellation notifications. Chipmunk delivers a more complete and informative experience for families.

Already Live — Don’t Wait

The Chipmunk App is now live and is currently sending the same delay and cancellation notifications to users’ devices.

As of June 1, 2026, the Bus Status App will no longer send notifications.

Don’t delay - download the Chipmunk App today to continue receiving important school bus updates.

The Wayfinders Winter Walk Challenge is a four‑day (February 23-26, 2026) initiative designed to encourage students to stay active, spend time outdoors, and build healthy habits during the winter months.

The challenge is open to elementary and senior elementary students in Thunder Bay. Participation can take place during the commute to and from school, and some schools may also plan walks during the school day.

Participants have a chance to win a prize for themselves and their class. More detail can be found here.

The 2025–2026 On The Bus winter newsletter is now live! Click the image below to explore essential updates on student transportation during the colder months, including how we handle inclement weather and cancellations. Stay informed, stay safe, and ride with confidence this winter!

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Click the image below to view the Summer 2025 Edition of our On The Bus newsletter for important reminders about school bus eligibility and walk to stop policy changes as well as information on how and when to view next year's transportation information.

Summer 2025