At their May 22, 2024 meeting, the Pembina Hills Board of Trustees passed a motion to once again, offer Requested School transportation service, for a fee.

[Partial excerpt from the May 22, 2024 Board News]

All students residing within Pembina Hills School Division are designated to attend a specific school based on the location of their home.  Some families choose to attend a different school for religious or language reasons (known as a “School of Choice”), to access special education or for various reasons in exercising their right to educational choice (known as a “Requested School”).

In April 2023, the Board reduced transportation services to Requested Schools in response to a significant change in funding and operational requirements. Students could still request to attend a different school but would be responsible for their own transportation.

In April 2024, the board heard from a delegation of parents who requested that this transportation service be reinstated, subject to available space on the bus and an appropriate fee.  The board invested a great deal of time and consideration on this issue and collected feedback from:

• Families who asked for the ability to choose the educational environment that would best meet their needs.
• Principals of smaller schools who are concerned that students might leave to attend larger schools, leaving smaller class sizes behind.
• Principals of larger schools who are concerned that an increase in the number of students coming in from smaller schools could place more pressure on resources.

After a great deal of deliberation, the board passed a motion to re-open transportation services to students wanting to attend a different school for reasons other than language or religion, starting in the 2024-25 school year. The service will be provided for a fee of $460 and is subject to space availability on the bus and the approval of the student to attend the Requested School.

Once approved to attend a Requested School or School of Choice, parents can complete the Requested School/School of Choice Transportation Application Form (5-01B), accessed through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Families interested in these transportation services must apply by June 30. Visit the Register to Ride webpage for more details.