School District No. 46 (SD46) is contemplating how to spend $380,465 in new transportation funding this year and how to improve the overall student transportation system going forward.
The money came to SD46 from a new $14.7-million student transportation fund announced by the provincial government late last year, and the funding boost is expected annually.
“Because the announcement came too late to adjust bus routes in the current [school] year, we have been consulting with stakeholders about what to do with the current [school] year’s funding,” secretary treasurer Nicholas Weswick reported to the school board on Jan. 11.
“We have proposed student safety improvements by purchasing activity buses to replace our aging fleet of 15 passenger vans with activity buses. Overall, this suggestion has been well received; however, there is some interest in retaining one or two 15-passenger vans for overflow when scheduling conflicts arise.”
The school board will decide how to spend the extra funding for the 2016-17 school year at the Feb. 8 board meeting.
In future school years, SD46 plans to use the annual funding to improve the overall student transportation system on the Coast.
With that goal in mind, the school district plans to take advantage of a new route review process being offered by the Ministry of Education this year.
“This process will include the implementation of transportation route software that will allow for plotting of student locations and simplify the route modification process,” Weswick said.
Before any changes are made to routes, consultation will first take place with stakeholder groups like the student leadership team, parent advisory councils and employee groups. Then in the spring the wider public will be consulted, as route changes could negatively impact some users.
Weswick said SD46 plans to hold several regional public consultation sessions before any changes are implemented for the 2017-18 school year.
During the route review, SD46 will be looking at reducing ride and wait times and walking distances for students, as well as investigating the option of giving schools extra funding for field trip transportation needs and subsidizing BC Transit passes for students.
