The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, September 11, 2014 | 10 Bus takes students to store, not school on first day by Michael Gregory Oakville Beaver Staff A handful of Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School students hope the second week of school will go more smoothly than the first. Last week, they boarded a bus with a changed route without knowing it -- and they didn't end up at school. On the first day of classes, students got on what they thought was the Oakville Transit's school shuttle and were quickly at a loss when the bus dropped them off at a shopping plaza instead of their Sixth Line high school. Oakville Transit suspended Route 80 Holy Trinity Special as part of several schedule adjustments rolled out at the end of August, but failed to inform the school. Despite the new route changes being announced via the Town of Oakville website, and in the Oakville Beaver, the message did not reach several families during the dog days of summer. "We've been using that bus service for several years so we just assumed it was always there," said Maureen Fearson, who drove her son and daughter, in Grades 9 and 11, respectively, on the first day of school Tuesday, but who became caught up in a confusing commute Wednesday, Sept. 3. "I didn't think to go on the website and look to see if the bus route was still there," said the Oakville mom. A handful of students were surprised last week after boarding what they believed was an Oakville Transit bus shuttle to Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School, but then being dropped off at the Walmart shopping centre near Dundas Street. | Oakville Beaver file photo Fearson's children caught the bus at the usual stop, only to call their mom a short while later to say they'd been dropped off at Walmart with several other students. "When you get a call from your kids saying `I'm supposed to be at school but what do I do, the bus dropped me at Walmart,' that's not... what you're expecting," Fearson said. The shopping complex at Trafalgar Road and Dundas Street East is a 20-minute walk to the high school and the students made the trek together that morning. "Somebody at some point should have said, because this is now taking service away from kids, that they should be notified," Fearson said. "The school board and the school knew nothing about the change." Oakville Transit did get in touch with the school later on Wednesday and an email was sent out to parents. Oakville Transit Director Barry Cole said there was "a lot of publicity around the system-wide changes" and "it was it was an oversight that Holy Trinity Secondary School was not informed directly of the service area change to Route 80. "We regret the inconvenience caused to families who were unaware of the change," Cole said in an email. HCDSB revised its policy for home-to-school transportation at a board meeting in early May, making 148 additional students living within a four-kilometre radius of Holy Trinity eligible for the service beginning Sept. 2. It's unclear whether the HCDSB decision led to the cancellation of the Route 80 bus. The Fearson youths and others have now been advised they can transfer buses and make it to school before the morning bell. "It was just more of a frustration," Fearson said, noting she understands the changes but would have preferred to be informed directly. On Friday, Holy Trinity's principal Justine O'Grady sent an email to all families on behalf of Oakville Transit asking for feedback on the changes. Cole said the feedback would be evaluated by staff this week, "and if demand exists, the old Route 80 service area will be reinstated and follow-up communication will take place with students and families." Your bridge to smarter living www.parkbridge.com As seen on CHCH and CityLine IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO CALL A PLACE HOME. At Parkbridge, you're not just buying a house. You're buying a home. A home in a community that opens its arms and its doors to your next big stage in life. A place where the word "neighbourly" isn't taken lightly, and where friends becomeyoursocialfamily.It'sallthegreatthingsaboutaffordablehomeownership, without all the maintenance, or debt, so you can live life to the fullest for less. Cherry Hill Retirement Lifestyle Community Bungalows Starting $192,510 3515 Rittenhouse Rd, Vineland 1-800-479-9777 Price subject to change your indoor/outdoor metal, wicker and wood furniture, doors, cupboards and collectibles. RE-USE RECYCLE REfURbiSH ING IN A T R E T N E L L A F R GET READY FO YTHING R E V E F F O % 0 1 EpTEmbER ONLY S www.paintitlikenew.com #1A-1254 Plains Rd. E., Burlington 2917 Lakeshore Blvd. West, Etobicoke 905-631-REDO (7336) 416-259-7549 without notice Showroom open 10:00-5:00 Monday-Saturday