School bus fees for Chinook's Edge School Division students living in urban areas will be streamlined following a vote at the Sept. 28 board meeting.The new yearly fee of $110 per student is effective as of Sept. 1 and replaces an old, two-tier system that was calculated based on the student's distance from their school and their age. The fees are only charged to CESD students who elect to take the school bus in an urban area ñ all rural students are covered under a provincial transportation grant.Allan Tarnoczi, CESD's associate superintendent of corporate services, said the new streamlined fee will simplify administrative costs while reducing the confusion over different charges. Students had previously been charged $110 or $330 based on their age and location.ìWhat we've done is we've taken all of those charges and we've reduced them to the lowest level ñ $11 a month,î he explained. ìWe're providing what we think is quite a bargain to parents and to families.îThe new fees are on the lower end of the spectrum, Tarnoczi said, pointing to the cost of a Red Deer Transit bus pass for comparison. As of Sept. 1, a Red Deer Transit student pass cost $55 per month.The change was made possible by savings CESD had seen in its transportation budget, which Tarnoczi said they wanted to pass on to parents and students.ìIt's a way of streamlining it,î he noted. ìIt's a way of making sure we get the most value, and they (parents) are getting the most value for their transportation dollars.îPriority is given to students in kindergarten to Grade 5, Tarnoczi said, noting riding privileges are conditional upon the availability of space on the buses. The fees are also non-refundable. An additional yearly fee of $110 is charged for urban students who need to be dropped off at a day home along existing bus routes.Tarnoczi estimated the change will only affect about ìa few dozenî families in each community.Those families who have already paid the additional fee will be reimbursed, he added.
