Changes to the eligibility rules for School Transport Assistance – note for parents and
caregivers
What changes to the eligibility rules are taking place?
The Ministry is changing the rules on eligibility for School Transport Assistance. This rule
change will mean more students are eligible for School Transport Assistance.
From the beginning of Term 2 (6 May 2013), children will be eligible for School Transport
Assistance under the following circumstances:
 if in Years 1-8 and live more than 3.2 km from their nearest appropriate school
 if in Years 9 or above and live more than 4.8 km from their nearest appropriate school
Other eligibility rules such as the need to show a lack of suitable public transport (where
applicable), will still apply.
Eligible students are offered either:
 a place on a Ministry funded school bus, or
 their parents could apply for Conveyance Allowance to help with the costs of travelling
If a student is currently eligible for School Transport Assistance, will this rule change
affect them?
No. If a student is currently eligible for School Transport Assistance, their eligibility status will
not change as a result of the rule change.
Who will be affected by the rule change?
This rule change will only affect students:
 in Years 8 and below, and
 living between 3.2 km and 4.8 km from their nearest appropriate school.
All other students that are eligible for School Transport Assistance will be unaffected.
What should parents do now – if they think that their child might be eligible for
assistance under the revised rules?
If a student is currently eligible for School Transport Assistance, parents do not need to do
anything. Their current eligibility status will not change as a result of the rule change.
If your child lives more than 3.2 km from Waikuku School and is in zone, but doesn’t get a school
bus service (e.g. Tulls Road) then you are eligible for School Transport Assistance. Please
contact the office about this.
Guidance on the rules of School Transport Assistance and the application form is available from
the Ministry’s website –
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/Schools/SchoolOperations/SchoolTr
ansport/Eligibility.aspx
An overview of the School Transport Assistance programme is available at
www.minedu.govt.nz/schooltransport
When will the revised rules come into effect?
The revised rule will take effect at the beginning of Term 2, from Monday 6 May 2013.
Why does the Ministry not just have one distance for establishing eligibility for School
Transport Assistance?
The Ministry considers that with age, most children gain greater independence and have greater
capacity to make consistent and safe travel decisions by themselves, regardless of the modes
of transport they use. The Ministry considers it is reasonable to expect older children to be
responsible for getting to and from school for a greater distance than younger children.
Why is the Ministry making the change to the rules now?
Parents have pointed out their frustrations that the current system has created. They have said
that the age of 10 is not a logical place to change the distance criteria. In some cases it has
meant that two children from the same family and going to the same primary school were not
both eligible for the school bus, if one of them had reached 10 years of age.
The Ministry agrees that the logical place to make this change in eligibility is when children
reach Year 9, as that is when many children change schools.