Prince George, B.C. – School District 57’s Board of Education has opened it’s first meeting of the new school year with a public submission about transportation. In her presentation to the Board, Denise MacDonald questioned the District’s policies on distances between school bus stops, overlapping bus routes, and the requirement that parents register their children for bus service for the entire school year, when in fact they only us the bus service during the coldest months “This results in half empty buses on the roads and everyone can see it” says MacDonald. 

Another presenter advised that some parents are driving their children to Nukko Lake school, following an empty school bus all the way in. The request is for students to catch the bus at Syms Road in the morning, and to have them dropped off there at the end of the school day where they would be picked up by their parents.  

Trustee Roxanne Ricard reminded everyone the District’s Transportation budget has not been increased for nine years. She says it is an item she wants to have brought up when the District meets with the Provincial Minister of Education on Monday when she visits Prince George.

Chair Lyn Hall says the picking up and dropping off of children who attend Nukko Lake has not been forgotten. “We know we have work to do around transportation and we know we have work to do around rural schools.”