CALGARY -- Calgary Board of Education has released its busing fee schedule for the 2020-21 school year, which will see students who live between 1.6 and 2.4 kilometres from their school charged $800 while students who live more than 2.4 kilometres away will pay $465.

Specialized program students will pay the $465 and alternative program students will pay the $800 fee.

Kindergarten students in half-day programs will be transported one-way only.

"This means that students in the morning program will have transportation to school and students in the afternoon program will have transportation to their homes at the end of the school day," CBE said in a release.

"No midday transportation service will be offered. Some CBE schools may be gathering feedback on the possibility of offering kindergarten on alternating full days rather than offering half-days, which would allow for two-way kindergarten transportation."

Fees for half-day and alternating day kindergarten students will be $400 per year.

Other changes include moving more students in Grade 6 and above to Calgary Transit and adjusting bell times at roughly 20 schools to allow for efficiencies in transit route pairing.

Students in specialized programs who require specialized transportation will not pay a fee.

Registration for transportation services begins May 19 and families are asked to register by June 14.

NDP Education Critic Sarah Hoffman, released a statement, saying families shouldn't be asked to pay more for busing during a pandemic and economic slowdown.

“Every Calgary Board of Education student who rides the bus is being forced to pay more, as a result of UCP budget cuts. Alberta families are already struggling and now Jason Kenney is making life even more expensive," it read.

"The ripple effect of their deliberate decision to abandon families is leading to the decimation of support for children with special needs and has downloaded their cuts onto Alberta families. Increasing bus fees, increasing supply fees and cutting programs for kids with special needs is cruel and couldn’t come at a worse time."

The plans are in place for the 2020-21 school year, however no reopening date for schools has been announced by the province in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CBE budget for next year is expected to be released May 19.