At a special meeting on Thursday, August 4, 2016, the Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows Board of Education reviewed the status of the regular student transportation pilot and approved changes to the 2016-17 transportation fees and eligibility requirements.
The revisions were based on the evaluation of the regular student transportation pilot data at the end of the registration period and on feedback received from parents.
Trustees heard from parents in both Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows who used regular student transportation in the past about the need to reduce fees and create a family rate. Parents also wanted the school district to reconsider allowing courtesy riders and review the eligibility criteria.
As of July 31, 2016, School District 42 has received 213 applications for regular student transportation. Of that number, only 170 met the eligibility criteria to receive this subsidized service.
In order to increase ridership and further optimize the 2016-17 regular student transportation pilot, the following changes have been approved by the Board:
Regular student transportation fees will be reduced to:
- First child/year $215
- Second child/year $215
- Third child/year $100
- Fourth child/year $100
The Board, at its discretion, may provide bus service for ineligible students for a fee of $315/child/year. If there are available spaces on an existing bus route the available spaces will be allocated in the following priority order:
Distance from school on the basis that students who live farthest from the catchment school will have the greater priority;
The age of the student on the basis that younger students will have the greater priority;
Catchment on the basis that in catchment students will have first priority, followed by out of catchment students and followed by out of district students.
*Bus routes will not be modified to accommodate ineligible students.
The revised regular student transportation pilot is not estimated to impact the school district budget. This is due to savings achieved related to the cost per bus and the number of buses required to deliver the service in 2016-17.
We would like to acknowledge the importance of the feedback received from our parent community. Together we have improved the regular student transportation pilot. Thank you.
Applications for the regular student transportation pilot must be received by August 19, 2016. More information about the revised 2016-17 regular student transportation will be posted on the school district website at http://www.sd42.ca/student-transportation.