Getting children to school isnB次元官网网址檛 a one way street.
The Sooke School District, in conjunction with partners including B.C. Transit, the Capital Regional District and West Shore municipalities, is hosting a meeting next Tuesday (Jan. 19) that aims to inform parents of the different transportation options for getting their children safely to and from school, and toss around new ideas.
B次元官网网址淲hat we are trying to do is take a holistic view at student transportation,B次元官网网址� said SD62 secretary treasurer Harold Cull. B次元官网网址淎 lot of parents look at the school bus system as the only way to transport their kids to and from school, other than to do it themselves. School busing is not mandated at all, weB次元官网网址檙e lucky we can provide (it).B次元官网网址�
Cull hopes to discuss potential park-and-ride options for carpoolers to help get students to and from school, among other options parents may bring to the table.
While the mostly urban Greater Victoria School District has no busing system, the Saanich district charges approximately $300 per year per student, compared to SD62B次元官网网址檚 $175, which went up $25 from last year.
Representatives from the Hub for Active School Travel (HASTe), area municipalities and the CRD will also be present at the forum, which includes round table discussions, information sessions and a question and answer period for parents.
B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 expect to decrease our ridership; we continue to grow as a district. All things being relative, our ridership will continue to increase,B次元官网网址� Cull said. B次元官网网址淲e may have some people finding alternative ways to get them to school. We just want to make sure we are identifying the best options for parents.B次元官网网址�
The DistrictB次元官网网址檚 busing budget is $1.9 million a year, and Cull said the $175 fee charged to the approximately 2,400 students in SD62 covers roughly 20 per cent of the total cost. Families in financial difficulty can be exempted from the fee, and those exemptions make up approximately 12 per cent of ridership.
The District currently has 34 buses, but that number is going up, thanks to the boardB次元官网网址檚 approval to purchase four new buses. As of Jan. 4, there are 28 routes in play.
Cull said he hopes parents at the meeting will open up a dialogue on different options the District may not have thought of yet.
B次元官网网址淲e want to raise awareness,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淥n the operations side, we need to make decisions and there are competing priorities for that funding. ItB次元官网网址檚 a high priority in the district to make sure our kids get to and from school safely, but we donB次元官网网址檛 have unlimited funds, so letB次元官网网址檚 have a bigger conversation with other stakeholders in the sector.B次元官网网址�
The forum takes place at 7 p.m. on Jan. 19 at Royal Bay secondary.
alim@goldstreamgazette.com
