The Issue

HWSTS's current transportation policies and procedures lack clarity and inclusivity in addressing the individual safety needs of children across all elementary grades.

Every school day in Hamilton, Ontario, thousands of children get off school buses and begin the journey from their bus stop to home. While many children can safely travel independently, not every child is ready or able to do so.

The current policy provides specific adult-receipt provisions for JK and Kindergarten students, as well as provisions for students who meet certain disability-related criteria.

However, there does not appear to be a clearly defined, equivalent process for other elementary students whose individual circumstances may make independent travel from the bus stop unsafe or inappropriate.

This creates a policy gap: a child's need for additional supervision or an alternative drop-off arrangement may exist even when the child does not fall within the existing JK/Kindergarten or disability-related categories.

For example, a child may have developmental or functional limitations, be awaiting an assessment, experience temporary circumstances, have difficulty recognizing or responding to safety risks, or simply not yet be ready to travel home independently. These circumstances may not meet a formal disability-related eligibility category, but they can still raise legitimate transportation safety concerns.

A child does not automatically become independent the day they enter Grade 1.

Similarly, a child's safety does not depend solely on whether they have a formal diagnosis.

The concern is not that every child requires adult receipt. The concern is that families should have a clear, accessible, and inclusive process to request an individualized safety arrangement when their child cannot safely manage the standard bus drop-off.

Parents may routinely meet their children at the bus stop because they believe supervision is in their child's best interests. But what happens when that parent is unexpectedly delayed by an emergency, work obligation, transportation problem, medical appointment, or another circumstance?

A child who normally expects an adult to meet them may suddenly be placed in a situation they were never accustomed to managing independently.

Some children and youth in Grades 1–8 may not be ready for independent travel for reasons unrelated to a formal disability.

Potential Safety Risks

When an expected adult is not present, potential outcomes may include:

- A child or youth becoming missing or lost.

- A child or youth being unable to find their way home.

- A child or youth being struck by a vehicle or involved in another traffic-related accident.

- A child or youth wandering into an unsafe area, roadway, body of water, or other hazardous environment.

- A child or youth being approached, exploited, or harmed by an unknown person.

- In the most serious circumstances, abduction or kidnapping.

We are asking HWSTS and HWDSB to formally review whether the current transportation policies and procedures adequately address these circumstances and provide clear, equitable, and individualized safety options for elementary students.

What Exactly We Are Asking HWSTS/HWDSB To Do:

1. Amend the Current Policy to Include an Extenuating Circumstances Clause

Amend the current transportation policy to include a clearly defined Extenuating Circumstances Clause allowing parents/guardians of elementary students in Grades 1–8 to request an adult-receipt or alternative drop-off safety arrangement when a child cannot safely travel independently.

This should include circumstances involving disability, suspected disability, developmental or functional limitations, temporary circumstances, or other documented safety concerns.

2. Ensure Equitable Access to the Parent Authorization/Authorized Drop-Off Contact Process

Provide the applicable form and clear instructions to parents/guardians of newly bussed elementary students, including where and how the completed form can be submitted.

*An equivalent telephone, in-person, or paper-based pathway should also be available for families who cannot access or complete the form through the online transportation portal.

3. Provide an Initial Written Response to the Requested Policy Review

Provide an initial written response to the concerns and proposed policy amendments raised by this petition no later than January 31, 2027, including whether a formal policy review will proceed and, if so, the next steps and anticipated timeline.

Why Your Signature Matters

Elementary children deserve transportation procedures that recognize the real world—not just categories on a form.

A child may have a disability. They may be awaiting assessment. They may have no diagnosis at all. They may lack a cellphone, not know how to navigate home safely, or not recognize danger.

They may simply have never been expected to manage an unexpected change alone.

We should not have to wait for a child to go missing, be injured, or experience a preventable emergency before the system considers whether the existing safety process was adequate.

*This petition was created to support a formal review by HWSTS and HWDSB, examine the current policy gap, and create a transportation safety process that is accessible, individualized, transparent, and responsive to the actual circumstances of children and families.

If you agree with this petition, please sign and follow along.

Our children deserve to get home safely!

— Emily Brown