No School Buses in September for Families in Northeastern areas of Ontario & Eastern Ontario's French Boards, Unless Province Acts Immediately

TORONTO, Aug. 20, 2026 /CNW/ -- More than 27,000 students and their families are facing a chaotic start to the school year without bus service unless the unless the Ontario government acts immediately to allow new transportation agreements to be finalized in the area serviced by French eastern Ontario transportation consortium, Conseil de Transport Scolaire de L'est (CTSE) and Transport Enroute in northeastern Ontario.

CTSE transports approximately 11,000 students in eastern Ontario's French language school boards – public and catholic. Transport EnRoute is the new transportation arm for Grandes Rivières and Northeast Tri-board and transports 16,000 students. Both regions have operators without individual contracts for the beginning of the school year. 

For the northeastern region, if new contract agreements cannot be reached by Wednesday, August 26, buses may not run because there may not be enough time for individual operators to complete the preparatory work necessary to have buses ready for the first day of school.

The situation is reaching a critical juncture.  In eastern Ontario, school is scheduled to begin next week.  CTSE issued a statement today indicating it has had an agreement in principle for three weeks, but the Ministry of Education has yet to approve.

"This is not a political issue for parents," said Nancy Daigneault, Executive Director of School Bus Ontario. "It's about their morning routine, their jobs, their children's safety, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing the school bus will arrive. Families don't care about contract negotiations--they care whether the bus shows up in September."

To make matters worse, school bus drivers and monitors are compensated by the number of days they drive.  If they lose days of work, it renders them unable to qualify for Employment Insurance over the Christmas holidays, leaving them to face a punishing cut to their income.

"It's unfair to the student and families but also to drivers and monitors who rely on steady work throughout the year in order to qualify for EI benefits over the holiday breaks," Daigneault said.

School bus operators in these regions contract individually with their respective transportation consortia. Their previous contracts expired in June, and new agreements have not yet been finalized. While operators remain ready and willing to provide service, they have been unable to prepare properly for the school year--including mandatory inspections, preventative maintenance, route planning, driver scheduling, and dry runs.

"School bus operators have worked hard to recruit and retain drivers during one of the most challenging labour markets our industry has ever experienced. Some drivers are already finding other jobs, and the longer the government waits, the more drivers we are going to lose, leaving parents with no buses for their kids," Daigneault added.

The financial pressures facing school bus operators also include:

• New school buses and replacement parts have increased by 50 to 71 per cent due to inflation, supply chain disruptions and tariffs. School buses now cost $185,000, up from $110,000 in 2020 (pre-covid).
• Operators require contract terms longer than three years to secure financing for new buses, which often have lead times of up to 12 months.
• Regional operating conditions - including labour markets, geography, and local service requirements - vary significantly and must be reflected in contract negotiations.

"Every family in Ontario knows it cost much more to own and operate vehicles than it did just a few years ago.  There is no reason parents and students should be forced to suffer because of a flawed government process."

SOURCE School Bus Ontario

Media Contact: Nancy Daigneault, Executive Director, School Bus Ontario, [email protected]