Parents who live less than 2.4 kilometres from their designated school who still use bus transportation will be paying between 50 to 80 per cent more starting this fall.
During their board meeting last Wednesday in Barrhead, Pembina Hills trustees approved a new rate index for in-town transportation fees.
The school division does not receive any transportation funding for students who live less than 2.4 kilometres from their designated school. There is separate funding for severely disabled students.
Currently, there are five in-town transportation routes — four in the towns of Barrhead and Westlock and one in Swan Hills. A total of 350 students are transported along these routes, the majority being Grade 1-6 students.
Previously, parents who utilized in-town bussing for their kids paid a fee of $235, or $118 if their child was in Kindergarten (ECS).
These rates are reviewed annually, and the goal is to achieve close to total cost recovery. Secretary-treasurer Tracy Meunier noted that “absolute cost recovery” is basically impossible; there will always be parents moving out or into the division that couldn’t be accounted for, and fuel prices will always waver.
Pembina Hills is looking at changing these rates due to a projected $500,000 deficit in transportation services.
Meunier noted to the board there will be further discussions around their transportation situation once the provincial budget is released March 26; however, in-town transportation fees were before the board that day so that they could notify parents of the changes.
Under this new rate index, the fee for a Kindergarten student receiving in-town transportation will be $175 for the entire year. The in-town transportation fees for Grade 1-6 students is $350 and $425 for Grade 7-12 students.
It should be noted the fees are lowered if the child is riding the bus from Feb. 1 to June 30. The fees in that case are $114 for ECS students, $227 for Grade 1-6 students and $276 for Grade 7-12 students.
However, Pembina Hills is maintaining a 20 per cent discount for families with multiple children riding the bus. Meunier said the 20 per cent discount recognizes the considerable burden families face.
Trustee Jennifer Tuininga stressed the importance of informing residents that in-town transportation is not funded by the province.
Supt. Colleen Symyrozum-Watt suggested they include in a backgrounder to parents stating that fact, and further explaining the transportation budget is much larger than this singular piece.
Tuininga said there is some confusion around the transportation situation in Pembina Hills, noting she had spoken to one man recently who thought that the County of Barrhead handled in-town busing.
Meunier clarified that the county did provide in-town transportation for students at one point, but that was more than 20 years ago.
“It is complex to understand who is being transported and for what reason and who is paying,” Symyrozum-Watt.
Trustee Jackie Comeau asked what would happen to the fees if fuel prices suddenly shot up.
Meunier said the fees are based on last year’s fuel prices, which were in the neighbourhood of $1.29 per litre.
Trustee Judy Lefebvre took exception with the reference to “cost recovery” in the motion, noting that the division isn’t achieving cost recovery with in-town transportation.
Meunier said they are simply trying to achieve the principle of cost recovery.
She noted finally that no board wants to charge more for bus transportation, but when resources shrink, hard decisions have to be made.
“With fuel the way it is and (provincial) funding the way it is, there is a need,” Meunier said.
