Back to school: Organized start (mostly) for first day of classes in English system

Tuesday marked the first day of class for students in most of the English School Boards in Quebec.

For some students, getting there wasn't easy, with continued issues related to school bus transportation.

Annie Fian has to drive at work at 7 a.m., so when St. Thomas High School in Pointe-Claire started in the morning, she found herself having to scramble.

"It’s very hard for me, because I have to drive my kid," she told CTV after dropping her child off.

The Lester B. Pearson School Board issued a communique saying only about 60 per cent of its bus routes would be operating by the first day of school, meaning some parents like Fian had to make other plans.

However, the board said in an update on Tuesday that regular bus service will resume for all routes as of Wednesday. It warned, however, that students who rely on minivans and adapted transit may experience delays.

By the end of last week, the board hadn’t completed negotiations with transit companies.

The English Montreal School Board reached a deal with its bus services by Friday, meaning that at schools like Honore Mercier Elementary in St-Leonard, the buses showed up right on time at 7:35 a.m.

"We got a little nervous," said Mercier parent Claudia Petta, "because we got info super late, but we were relieved that we could finally get on the bus."

"Nervous and excited" was how a lot of parents and students described their first day back as they strolled into meet new teachers and old friends.

"Excited because it’s a new school, and nervous because it’s high school, it’s a new thing," said incoming St. Thomas student Evan Nguyen.