The March 17, 2021 board meeting was held at Regional Office in Barrhead. This article provides a brief summary of the meeting. Read the full agenda and minutes here. 

2021-2022 busing fees approved

Each year the board establishes transportation fees for:

• In-town busing
• Rural students accessing transportation to a school of choice
• Alternate sites for students accessing more than one bus stop

As these services are not required or funded by Alberta Education, the division provides them for a fee to cover the cost of providing the service. Further analysis of the in-town bus routes indicate that they are not operating on a cost recovery basis and the board wants to consider alternative ways to offer in-town busing without subsidizing the cost. Following a review at their February 24th meeting, the board requested that administration provide further cost recovery options for in-town busing.

After reviewing 11 different options, lengthy discussion and two defeated board motions, the board approved the following transportation rates for 2021-2022:

• In-town busing fees will be set at $415 per student per year—a $55 increase from the current rate of $360
  • To lessen the financial impact on families, the in-town fee increase to obtain cost recovery will occur over a two year period.
  • Rates for PUF*/Kindergarten students are prorated at 50%. *PUF refers to pre-school and or Kindergarten aged students identified with specific needs according to AB Education’s Program Unit Funding conditions. 
  • Priority will be given to PUF/Kindergarten to Grade 6 students.
  • A route for in-town service will not be offered if it falls below a utilization rate of 35%.
  • Only one route will be offered in-town unless a second route can be offered on a cost-recovery basis.

• Rural busing fees for students leaving their attendance area to attend a school of choice will remain unchanged at $460 per student per year.
• The fee for alternate site requests will remain unchanged at $50 per student per year.

View the 2021-2022 Transportation Rates Annex online at www.pembinahills.ca/rates-annex/

Neerlandia Alternate Calendar Approved

In follow-up to the February 24th board meeting, amendments were made to the 2021-2022 Neerlandia Public Christian School Alternate Calendar to align operational days with other schools. The revised calendar was approved by the board and is available at www.pembinahills.ca/school-calendars/.

Check out the board meeting agenda and minutes for more information.

The next school board meeting is at the Regional Office on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 starting at 9:00 a.m. Members of the public are invited to view a livestream of the meeting on our website.