Parents in Pembina Hills Public Schools who request bus transportation to a school other than the one in their attendance area, or need more than one drop-off location for their child, along with families who utilize in-town bussing in Westlock, Barrhead, or Swan Hills will pay the same fees for the coming school year.
At their Feb. 13 meeting in Barrhead, trustees unanimously passed the 2019-2020 Transportation Fees Annex following a report from director of transportation Shantelle Haitel that included a recommendation to keep the rates status quo.
In-town transportation fees are $350, while the fees for rural transportation to a requested school is $450. Rates for Kindergarten students are pro-rated at 50 per cent, while alternate site requests cost $50.
“As we know, costs of transportation are continuously going up, especially due to the carbon tax and different requirements by the government that are coming into place. Our costs are definitely going up,” she said, noting fees are based on the prior year’s average cost of providing the service, as well what nearby jurisdictions charge.
“But we also know that the economy is not great, so we can’t charge parents an exorbitant amount.”
Haitel noted that in 2018-2019 228 students accessed in-town transportation on two routes in Westlock, two in Barrhead and one in Swan Hills, which was a slight increase from the 2017-2018 when 206 students accessed the service.
Meanwhile parents of 140 students who attended schools outside their attendance areas paid a rural transportation fee, while an alternate drop-off fee was levied to 70. Both were down from 2017-18 when 160 students utilized rural transportation to a school of choice and 106 students needed an additional stop.
MELT requirements
Trustee Kerry McElroy asked what was happening with the new Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) requirements for bus drivers that come effect on March 1.
Last fall, the province announced that drivers seeking a Class 1 or Class 2 licence would have to complete a new training program. Schoolbus drivers specifically require a Class 2.
School divisions have expressed concern that the MELT requirements could mean huge costs if the province does not provide any added funding.
Haitel had previously reported the province is looking at altering the requirements, but at Wednesday’s meeting she had no updates, adding the province is still pushing the March 1 deadline.
She noted that Pembina Hills has applied to host a certified drivers’ training school, with their driver trainer becoming the new senior driving instructor.
However, she said they have not heard from the province on the status of the application, or whether they’ll come out and inspect their site and accept their trainer’s credentials.
Noting the deadline is only two weeks away, trustee Jackie Comeau asked what would happen if the province does nothing by March 1.
Haitel said that PHPS would be unable to do any driver training other than for the ‘S’ endorsement on a Class 2 licence.
Since the beginning of February she has told everyone she has interviewed to become a spare driver to “just wait” until the middle of March.
At that point the division can get all the drivers’ paperwork in order and check their references, she said. Any prospective driver won’t begin training until PHPS is licensed, or the government has made another decision.
“So we’re trying to keep everybody informed as best as we can,” she said.
Trustee Jackie Carson asked Haitel if she was getting many applications to become spare drivers, noting PHPS had been short.
Haitel responded that she had quite a few applications for spare bus driver positions and some of them will be trained and ready to go March 1.
