The Calgary Board of Education is proposing school bus fees increase from $300 to $335 to help cover an anticipated $13 million budget gap.
The CBE has been consulting with parents, staff, students and communities since March to develop a plan for student transportation.
“One of the things we heard from our parents is that they want to minimize the walk distance to a yellow bus stop, particularly for our youngest students. I am pleased that many of our students, in a variety of programs, will have a stop within 1000 m of their home,” said Board Chair Joy Bowen-Eyre.
The CBE says there is a $13 million gap between provincial funding and the cost of delivering bussing. It’s expected the fee increase will raise $9 million, and the rest of the gap would be covered by changes in service for some students and a subsidy from the larger CBE budget.
Pre-registration for bussing has begun so that the CBE can get a clear idea of ridership and routes for next year. More junior high students will be moved to Calgary Transit. This fall the CBE will develop a set of transportation criteria that takes into consideration other factors such as geographic location and student population density in a community.
