The Sooke School District may have to add some new bus routes to cope with the increase in students this year.
chair Ravi Parmar said bussing is a complicated issue that wonB次元官网网址檛 be easy to resolve.
He explained that the Sooke district puts a cap on the number of students they can bus at 3300, due to limited funding from the government.
B次元官网网址淥ur district is working with the municipalities to ensure there is safe alternatives of transportation other than bussing,B次元官网网址� said Parmar.
superintendent Jim Cambridge said there are approximately 300 students on a waiting list right now to ride the bus this fall, but this could change within the next few days.
B次元官网网址淥ver the summer weB次元官网网址檝e had a big influx of registrations, some of those are new to the community, and some are existing students who hadnB次元官网网址檛 registered prior to this year,B次元官网网址� Cambridge said.
As there is no charge for the bus route this year, he said some families could be taking advantage of it, and others could potentially just be registering for a rainy day.
There has also been an increase in students this year so they added a bus route in response to the districtB次元官网网址檚 projected growth.
B次元官网网址淭he first week we will do a little survey to see whoB次元官网网址檚 still on the bus and who has left,B次元官网网址� said Cambridge.
Once the district finds out how many students plan on riding the bus every day, it will determine whether they have to add routes and where the money will come from to do that.
B次元官网网址淲hen youB次元官网网址檙e growing as fast as our school district is, we canB次元官网网址檛 predict whoB次元官网网址檚 moved in and what developments happened over the summer so we pretty much have to adapt every September when we get the new numbers,B次元官网网址� Cambridge said.
Parmar said there would be some issues with funding should the district have to add routes, but they are working to find a solution.
B次元官网网址淭he board wants to provide safe bussing for students that need it, but busses cost money and to add routes we would have to take money out of the classrooms. I donB次元官网网址檛 think thatB次元官网网址檚 the responsible thing to do, so we will keep working to resolve this issue,B次元官网网址� said Parmar. B次元官网网址淏ut when you are bussing well over 3000 people, things arenB次元官网网址檛 going to be perfect.B次元官网网址�
Parmar said he encourages parents to come to the and share their thoughts and ideas. Adding that for the time being, he advocates those who have the ability and those who are on the wait list to try and find other options of transporting themselves to school.
