Alberta Education to pour $414 million into student transportation

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Alberta Education will provide school boards up to $414 million over the next three years to support transportation funding, a 32 per cent increase for the coming 2023-24 school year.

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As school boards face increased costs, inflationary pressures and bus driver shortages across the province, Education Minister Adriana LaGrange said the funding will ensure about 80,000 more students will get busy, and families will save up to $20 million in reduced costs.

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“One of the biggest issues we are tackling through Budget 2023 is ensuring education remains affordable and accessible,” LaGrange said Tuesday at a news event in Sherwood Park.

“We recognize that school authorities and parents are under a lot of pressure due to rising transportation costs and inflation.

“This will ensure transportation is safer for students, more affordable for parents and families, and responsive to the funding needs of our school authority partners.”

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The province will also reduce the distance eligibility criteria for students from the current 2.4 kilometers to just one kilometer for K-6 students and two kilometers for students in grades 7 to 12.

The criteria include reducing the maximum distance from a student’s residence to their bus route, and modifying the distance calculation so it uses the shortest driving route and no longer includes walking paths.

“Lowering the eligibility distance and adjusting calculations will enhance student safety and increase clarity for parents and school authorities,” LaGrange said.

Funding will also support driver training

Post-pandemic inflation and labor shortages have created significant challenges around student transportation this school year, with thousands of school bus routes disrupted every day due to a severe lack of bus drivers, and limited access to driver training and testing.

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LaGrange said the funding will include expanded supports for driver training, testing and hiring, supporting up to 1,200 drivers and providing an additional 350 new drivers, increasing that workforce by up to six per cent.

Tuesday’s announcement also included expanded transportation funding for independent and alternative programs, such as charter schools, francophone schools and private schools.

When asked whether families whose kids attend private schools — many of which charge thousands of dollars a year for tuition — require transportation subsidies, LaGrange argued it’s important to support choice in education.

“We want to ensure choice, and make sure we have transportation to schools of choice,” she said.

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“For students attending independent schools, when we had a survey of the social economic factors of their parents, they fell into the same economic categories of every school right across this province.

“Parents are not from wealthy families, they are choosing to put their kids there for various reasons.

“And every parent is a taxpayer and they deserve to have their dollars distributed equally across all school authorities.”

School boards in Calgary would not provide details on how much money they will receive or how specifically it will benefit students.

“The Calgary Board of Education welcomes the investment into school bus transportation from the provincial government. This investment will mean more CBE students will have access to transportation,” said CBE spokeswoman Joanne Anderson, adding that it’s too early to estimate how bell times or bus fees will be affected, or how soon more bus drivers might be added to the system.

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“We look forward to working with Alberta Education and yellow bus service providers to fully implement the changes by September 2024.”

Officials with the Calgary Catholic School District also expressed appreciation for the funding. Officials are currently evaluating the changing transportation eligibility criteria and the associated increase in ridership and bus routes.

“CCSD also appreciates the one-year grace period offered by the province, as we work collaboratively with our transportation service providers to evaluate the availability of both yellow buses and bus drivers to support the initiative,” said spokeswoman Manique Werapitiya-Galle.

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