Chinook's Edge School Division administration will be looking into the possibility of busing students from the east side of town to River Valley School.
The matter was discussed on Wednesday at the board of education meeting in Innisfail.
Allan Tarnoczi, associate superintendent, corporate services, explained that many students in town live more than 1.6 kilometres (the threshold for busing) away from the school. While he said there hasn't been a “groundswell” of support for busing students, the division is willing to look at the issue.
The matter came before the division as a result of Rod MacLean, principal of River Valley, expressing concern for the safety of many students walking to school.
“We're always interested in making sure the kids get to school in a safe manner. We have a big period of bridge construction coming up on that Red Deer River bridge … and I'm just not sure that our kids that we have would be able to cross that bridge safely during that time,” he said.
While the number of students crossing the bridge to River Valley School isn't large at the moment, MacLean said that could change in the future.
“We want to make sure that we're on the ground floor there and we're doing what we need to do to make those newly-arrived kids and the ones that are there get to school safely,” he said.
Ron Fisher, trustee for Sundre (Ward 6), said he supported the plan to look at the issue and doesn't want to see children walking alongside the highway.
“We would have to ascertain the demand on the east side,” he told trustees.
Fisher said students on the east side of town have had a considerable distance to walk to school across an ever-busier main street and, in some cases, two bridges.
“During wintertime this is increasingly becoming a problem,” he said, noting that most parents drive their children to school.
Fisher said part of the review of the issue will involve how many families east of the Red Deer River have school-aged children, and how many parents would like to have that service. Fisher said the exact details of the plan have yet to be worked out. The cost for the service — and a charge to parents — is also yet to be determined.
Fisher said if the plan were to go ahead, it would commence this coming fall.
MacLean said he was encouraged that senior administration is at least looking at the issue.
“This is a step up. They're going to look at how they can do urban busing there. The decision has just been made to develop a plan, so we haven't seen a plan yet,” he said.
"We're always interested in making sure the kids get to school in a safe manner."Rod MacLean, principal, River Valley School
