Facing down an over one million dollar transportation deficit, the Rocky View School Board decide to raise transportation fees for next year. 

Transportation fees for applicable resident students will jump to $325 per student, an increase of about $100, with a maximum per family of $650. The decision was passed after a 4-3 vote, and concludes a discussion that started at the April 13 School Board meeting. The fees would only apply to students using the bus that live less than 2.4 kilometers from their designated schools, or attend a program of choice such as French Immersion unless it is already the student's designated school.

The increase comes as a solution to a mounting transportation deficit in Rocky View. A combination of factors such as a lack of transportation funding from the government in the last ten years, inflation of contractor prices, and the carbon tax have caused a mess for the school division. On top of that, under the province's new Bill 1, the school division cannot charge transportation fees to students living more than 2.4 kilometers from their designated school. Most trustees at the meeting said that the current reality left them with a very difficult decision.

"While our Board supports the government's intent to reduce school fees, we were forced to decide whether we eliminate services altogether for students living closer than 2.4 kilometers from their designated school and students attending non-designated schools or raise our fees," said Board Chair Colleen Muno. "Further compounding this dilemma is that the transportation portfolio has been severely underfunded since 2008."

The school board also decided to continue to offer a waiver to parents who qualify for the GST rebate.

Trustee Norma Lang also made a motion that would direct the Transportation Committee to look at available grant money for Rocky View to apply jointly with community partners, in order to explore creative solutions to the transportation deficit. Lang spoke about trying to get a hold of government dollars collected under the Carbon Tax as a way to remedy the transportation deficit.

 

Read More:

School Board Unable to Move Forward on Transportation Fees