A number of parents in School District 83 want to put the brakes on "fee for service" options that are being considered as part of the Transportation Department Review.
The transportation department review will focus on bus route efficiency, dispatch and work assignments, mechanic shop and maintenance, staff workload and assignments, and fee for service implementation options that were addressed in a recent survey.
The fee-for-service piece has a number of parents and guardians concerned, particularly given the size of the school district with a lot of students in outlying areas dependant on busing. In a post to social media, Rebecca Taylor Goode pointed out the additional cost "could make it even harder for some children to access education equitably."
That is concern shared by parent Siobhan Rich who volunteers at both Parkview Elementary and Eagle River Secondary schools in Sicamous.
“My biggest concern is the kids that need to be in school the most, and need the most support... will fall through the cracks," she said. "Education isn’t an option, it’s a right in Canada.”
Rich said she spoke about it with the school district which said it would be a two-tiered system, but noted the survey asked how much people would be willing to pay for busing and that "the first number was $10. It wasn’t zero, it was 10.”
“We need free busing, that is my biggest concern," she said. "It’s expensive and I get that, but they need to find the money somewhere else.”
A report on the transportation survey is on the June 17 school board agenda from Supt. Donna Kriger, who states more than 800 responses were collected for consideration but "no major changes" are anticipated for the 2025/26 school year, and the board will continue public engagement in the fall.
