Starting next September — some grade 7 to 12 students in the Bluewater District School Board will not have to walk as far to get to school.
Grade 7 and 8 students living 1.6 kilometres or more from their school can now take the bus.
The previous minimum distance was 3.2 kilometres.
The urban bus stop walking distance for 7 and 8 also goes from 1.6 kilometres to 0.8 kilometres, and from 2.4 kilometres to 1.6 for high school students.
Superintendent of Business Brenda Booth says they are just following recommendations from the province.
The Ministry of Education’s Efficiency and Effectiveness review suggested there be common walking distances for elementary students in all three local school boards.
Bluewater shares transportation services with the Bruce-Grey Catholic board and the French Catholic board.
Booth says the changes for grade 7 and 8 mean about 170 fewer students will have to walk to school next year.
She notes the 1.6 kilometre threshold only affects grades 7 and 8, and that students living less than that distance from school will still have to get there on foot.