Aspen View Public Schools will spend its transportation surplus on new bus routes along with red light and interior cameras.
“When we’re reporting a surplus and implementing fees we have to both report how we’re using the fees and we have to spend it in two years,” division Supt. Mark Francis explained.
Because of lower fuel costs and the late start to the winter season, the transportation budget is predicting a surplus of over $200,000 — the original budget had a deficit of $374,000. Since this is mostly due to the implementation of a transportation fee, the division must spend the money.
During the Dec. 17 Aspen View board meeting, Francis made his recommendations on the surplus — six additional red light and 10 interior cameras which will cost around $45,500, including installation.
The red-light cameras will be used to record vehicles passing school buses when the students are boarding or getting off. They can then be used to identify and prosecute drivers going around the bus’ stop sign. Meanwhile the interior cameras are used to monitor the students inside the bus.
“A teacher stands in front of a class of 30 kids and they get to faces of the kids and see them,” he said. “We ask bus drivers to drive in some cases up to 50 or 60 on a bus and they’re supervising in a little tiny mirror that shakes.”
Both were well received by the trustees.
“I think there’s a real opportunity to make it a safer environment for the students, for teachers, for parents,” said trustee Trevor Yeaman. “I think that’s what we were wanting when we said we wanted to charge a busing fee. We wanted to be able to implement some of these things that we couldn’t do before because the money wasn’t there.”
Added Francis: “It isn’t the total cost, but it’s a start. We would then reevaluate towards year-end. We’ll see what’s happening with fuel prices and we’ll possibly do something else.”
The two additional bus routes will be added in the north and south of Athabasca and each goes to the Athabasca schools. With these additions, around 40 students will be on the bus 18 minutes less.
“Just imagine the families and kids getting that call?” said trustee Donna Cherniwchan. “Saying, ‘Guess what? You get picked up later.’”
The new routes are a result of the division review started earlier this year with the purpose of bringing the route times closer to 7:30 a.m. They’ll cost Aspen View around $90,000 and should start early in 2016.
“Technically the routes start Jan. 11,” said Francis. “But, we want to pick up the kids on their own routes as soon as we can get them out there.”
