About the Program

VISTA Transportation is a cooperative venture between Saint Thomas Academy and Visitation School offering reliable and safe bus transportation to various parts of the metro area. We are committed to providing the best possible service at the most affordable cost. All routes offer a morning and after-school bus.

CONTRACTS FOR 2023-24 ARE DUE JUNE 30, 2023.

Bus Routes - Group Pick-Up Locations
● St Paul
● Minneapolis
● Northeast/Woodbury
● Edina (includes Eden Prairie, Bloomington)
● South Metro*(Apple Valley, Eagan, Lakeville, Rosemount)
*South Metro route is contingent upon 20 riders

Bus Rider Fee
● $1,950 per year
● $950 each additional family rider fee

The fee is per student and cannot be adjusted for part time usage.
STA and Vis subsidize approximately 40% of total bussing costs.

Bus Times
● Morning (usually between 6:30 - 7:15 a.m.)
● After-school 3:20 (VIS) 3:25 (STA)
● Late start mornings or early release afternoons, buses run on regular schedule.
● Final exam week will have adjusted bus route times

GPS Tracking
Transportation will include GPS data and gives parents the ability to track the student’s school bus location in real time.

Questions?
vistabusing@cadets.com

Transportation Contract

CONTRACTS FOR 2023-24 ARE DUE JUNE 30, 2023

Required

VISTA TRANSPORTATION CONTRACT 2023-24

$1,950 per year
$950 each additional family rider fee.

$400 deposit per rider due at time of application.

Billing for bus transportation will be added to Blackbaud Tuition accounts.
District bus reimbursement, if applicable, must be submitted to VISTA in addition to rider fee.
Bus route information will be sent to families in August by email.
No refunds will be given unless the student formally withdraws from school.
STA and Visitation subsidize approximately 40% of total bussing costs.

Bus routes will be determined based on contracts received by June 30, 2023.

VISTA Transportation Coordinator - John Kenney
vistabusing@cadets.com
651-683-1516

Please select number of students and click "Add Attendee" button below.

Number of students needing bus transportationrequiredPlease select number of students and click "Add Attendee" button

Attendee 1 Info

First Name*

Last Name*

Grade Level 2023-24*

Student Birth Date*

Student Attends- Choose One*

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Street Address

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Parent/Guardian Namerequired

First Name

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Parent/Guardian 2 Cell Phone

Parent/Guardian Email Addressrequired

Your School District

Your School District Number

Parent or Guardian Signature

I have read and understand all details in the Bus Transportation Information document and agree to the above contract terms.

Date of Signature

Must contain a date in M/D/YYYY format

Student Signaturerequired

I agree to abide by my school's student handbook regarding bus conduct. I understand that while riding the bus, my conduct will be such that I will not distract the driver, be loud or rude, use vulgar language, use alcohol, tobacco (chew or smoke), destroy property, or behave in a manner unbecoming of a Visitation or Saint Thomas Academy student. I also understand that any violations pertaining to behavior will jeopardize my bus ridership privileges.

Date of Student Signature

Must contain a date in M/D/YYYY format

Payment Information

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Address

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Severe Weather Procedures

Because so many of our families have students attending both schools, Visitation and Saint Thomas Academy will implement the same school closing or delay procedures. Unlike previous years, we will not necessarily follow the decision made by District 197 to close or delay school.

Should we choose to close or delay school, the decision will be communicated in the following ways:

Twin Cities television and station websites (WCCO 4, KSTP 5, Fox 9 & KARE )
Vis and STA websites, and school Facebook and Twitter accounts
Emails to all parents and employees
STA Alert Now phone message

We are aware that our students come from all over the metro area, so if road conditions in your area are difficult, we encourage families to use their own judgment regarding the commute to school.

School District Reimbursement

Saint Thomas Academy and Visitation students live in over 45 different school districts within Minnesota and Wisconsin.

If your student does not attend a school within the district in which you reside, you may be entitled to transportation reimbursement. Every district handles this issue differently; some districts reimburse while others do not reimburse (i.e., Minneapolis). Some districts send the reimbursement to your home (i.e., Eagan), while other districts (i.e., Edina) send one check to STA and Visitation (a check is subsequently issued to the family in the fall). School district reimbursements for VISTA riders will be applied toward our transportation costs, as stated in the bus contract.

Both Saint Thomas Academy and Visitation are located in District 197, which includes Mendota Heights, West Saint Paul and parts of Eagan and Inver Grove Heights.

As this is an issue fundamentally between the school district and taxpayer, it is the parent/guardian's responsibility to contact his or her respective district in order to receive any potential district transportation reimbursement. Forms should be on your public school district website.

Please be aware that STA and Visitation provide each district with a “compulsory list” of students (in the fall) plus an “attendance sheet” (in the spring) for the number of days (the academic year is 175 days) that your student attended school for the year.

Current Families

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