BURLINGTON, Ontario — Halton District School Board trustees have voted to improve transportation services for students in grades 6, 7 and 8.

Under the current system, students in grades 6 through 8 are only provided school bus transportation if they live more than 3.2 kilometers (about two miles) from their home school.

Beginning this September, however, all elementary school students who live more than 1.6 kilometers (about one mile) from their designated home schools will be eligible to ride a school bus.

“Halton parents identified having a different transportation distance for the junior kindergarten to grade 5 students and the grade 6 through 8 students as a problem,” said Wayne Joudrie, director of education for the Halton District School Board. “Establishing the same busing distances for all elementary school students will help many families.”

The policy change will add an additional 45 bus routes to the district’s 370 routes and is projected to cost $1.3 million annually.