Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to remove Langevin School from the list of five schools where yellow busing is no longer available. The CBE said when the science program was expanded, some of the students were re-designated to Valley View and Ian Bazalgette schools. Those students will continue to receive the yellow school bus service. The students that chose to remain at Langevin did so as ‘out of attendance-area students.”
Calgary public school trustees have rejected a motion to reinstate yellow bus service to five alternative school programs in the city.
In May, parents learned transportation to the schools, including Sir Wilfred Laurier School, would not be available by yellow bus for the 2017-18 school year. Students, some as young as 10, would need to take Calgary Transit or find alternative methods of getting to class instead. One father told News Talk 770 his son would potentially have to commute 90 minutes by bus and train in each direction to continue attending his school.
The service cuts were prompted by a $38-million budget shortfall.
READ MORE: Parents protest CBE decision to remove busing for students attending alternative school programs
Bill 1, the Notley government’s legislation to reduce school supply and transportation fees, only covers the cost of transportation to designated schools for students living outside a prescribed range. Alternative programs, like the ones offered by the Calgary Board of Education (CBE), are not paid for by the provincial government.
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Trustee Julie Hrdlicka proposed an amendment to the 2017-18 school year budget which would have utilized money from the school board’s reserves to cover the cost of providing one last year of service for families at the five affected schools. Administration pegged the cost of doing so at roughly $3.5 million.
“What we’ve done in the past is engage with parents and because of Bill 1 we haven’t been able to do that,” Hrdlicka said in hopes of buying time for another year to find solutions. “But we also are very frustrated with the government by not engaging with us. So should we do the same thing to our families.”
Other trustees chimed in to voice their frustrations with Bill 1, but wouldn’t lend their support to the motion.
“I felt we were blindfolded, hands tied behind our backs, and thrown under an unfunded school bus,” said Trustee Pamela King. “With the announcement of Bill 1, implications and implementation was not clear. We committed to communicating to parents as early as possible about buses and routes and had to delay. And it has truly felt like we’ve had to hurry up and wait, and now rush to meet unrealistic deadlines for an organization of this size, complexity, and diversity.”
“Our hands were then tied behind our backs with the announcement of the 5 per-cent cap on fees. Parents concerned over lost yellow bus service and willing to pay more are frustrated.”
READ MORE: Reducing transportation and supply fees could be just the beginning for Alberta schools
“It is just so heartbreaking to be put in this position,” said trustee Trina Hurdman. “Next year, we don’t know what’s coming with Bill 1. There might be more shortfalls to come. I hate sounding so callous and making this all about numbers because we know these are families and kids behind every decision that we are making, and people’s lives are being disrupted in very major ways.”
“We represent those families, but we represent thousands of other families in the system that have told us those dollars should go to learning, not bussing.”
Ultimately, a majority of the board agreed that dollars earmarked for in-classroom support shouldn’t be utilized for transportation. Some trustees also expressed concern that use of such reserves may not receive the approval of provincial education minister David Eggen. Hrdlicka’s motion was defeated by a vote of 6-1.
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