Talking school buses
Posted Nov 8, 2010 05:04:20 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Parents will be voicing their opinions on school buses today.
That’s as a motion by board trustee Cindy Watson is put on the table asking that school kids who previously were bused to school, be allowed to get on board once again.
Changes were put in place this Fall, after the provincial government told the Waterloo Region District School Board that it was spending too much money on transportation.
According to the Waterloo Region Record, the board received $12.8 million from the province but spent $16.5 million last year.
The shortfall was made up by taking from other budgets within the board administration.
The Record also reports that every year the school board receives an inefficient grade from the province, it receives 1 per cent less of its transportation funding.
Through the motion, Watson wants past transportation agreements to be honoured; the board to provide busing for students who meet walking distances, and not disqualifying students using the 300 metre flexibility rule; and that transportation policy include a compassionate ground, including medical and hardship situations.
She says it’s important that parents are able to expect that they qualify if they meet that walking distance – which would be 3.2.
She says trustees at the meeting did not have the 300 metre flexibility rule when the decision was made; that rule is used to disqualify students when they actually qualify.
Agreements were made with boundary adjustments, and suddenly that agreement was void.
She says parents found out anywhere from June to late October that their kids would not receive busing.
She says that she’s been hearing from parents that buses are not at full capacity. She doesn’t want extra money to be spent on transportation costs, but to ensure that buses are at full capacity, as that is true efficiency.
Watson expects to receive information regarding why the buses are not full on Novemeber 8th. She wants students to walk to where the bus pick-up is.
If the motion is passed, she hopes that changes will take place immediately.
The voting is held at The Education Centre on Ardelt Avenue in Cambridge. It is open to the public.
