School bus growth in Chestermere highlights pressure on Rocky View Schools transportation system

Rapid growth in Chestermere is placing increasing pressure on school transportation in the region, but Rocky View Schools (RVS) says several recent changes are helping stabilize service for students and families.
Transportation challenges and solutions were discussed during the RVS board meeting on March 5, where officials outlined how rising enrolment in communities such as Chestermere has led to significant expansion in bus routes and operational adjustments.
According to RVS Senior Manager of Transportation Morley Kostecky, the number of bus routes serving the area has grown substantially in recent years.
“In the time that I have been serving with Rocky View Schools, we’ve grown our bus fleet serving that area from 40 routes to over 60,” Kostecky told trustees.
That rapid expansion reflects the pace of development and population growth in and around Chestermere, where new neighbourhoods and housing developments continue to bring more families into the school system.
To support the growing transportation network, Rocky View Schools established a bus yard and dispatch office in Chestermere. Previously, buses serving the region were dispatched from Airdrie, which meant drivers and operations staff were working from a location farther away from many of the routes they served.
Kostecky said the move had an immediate impact on operations.
“One of the additional steps of incorporating a bus yard and a new dispatch office in the City of Chestermere had immediate effect in improving support for the busy drivers,” he said.
Having operations based locally helped improve communication between drivers and dispatch staff while also making it easier to recruit and retain drivers.
“The net result was we were seeing more driver retention, fewer public complaints, and better communication between our department and the contractor’s offices,” Kostecky said.
Another improvement affecting families in Chestermere is the full implementation of the “Where’s The Bus” (WTB) tracking system across the RVS transportation network.
The system uses GPS technology installed on school buses to provide real-time information about bus locations and estimated arrival times. Parents and guardians can access the information through a mobile app or web portal.
RVS completed the rollout of the system in February 2026 after more than a year of testing and phased implementation.
According to the division, more than 6,200 parents are currently using the platform to track buses and monitor transportation activity on RVS routes.
Kostecky told trustees the system has helped improve reliability and communication for families waiting for buses.
“All of our buses are now fully using Where’s The Bus,” he said, noting the technology has been in use across the system since early 2025.
Despite the improvements, officials say the broader challenge remains the speed of growth in communities like Chestermere. As student numbers continue to climb, transportation capacity must expand alongside new schools and neighbourhoods.
Transportation costs have also increased, with RVS reporting that bus service rates have risen roughly 40 per cent over the past two years. Even with those increases, the division says its transportation costs remain lower than those paid by Calgary-area school systems.
Looking ahead, RVS officials say maintaining reliable bus service will depend on balancing rising costs, driver availability, and the continued expansion of communities served by the division.
For Chestermere families, the recent operational changes appear to be helping.
According to Kostecky, the transportation system is currently stable, with drivers assigned to all routes and no consistent issues with late buses.