Prince George, B.C. – School District 57 has given temporary approval to a allow  an elementary school student to have a "courtsy ride" to a school not in the child's catchment area.

 

It is a policy changer, as courtesy rider policy currently only applies to secondary school students.

 

Case in point. The family requesting the courtesy rides lives in the Springwood catchment area. The child is enrolled at Nukko Lake. The parent would like to drive the child to the Syms Road school bus stop  where the child could take the bus to school and be dropped off at that same spot at the end of the day.

 

The School District has 4,000 students on buses every day and of that number 244 are courtesy riders who are allowed to take the bus, when there is room and provided they find their own way to the bus stop. That policy does not cover elementary school aged children.

 

The Board’s legal counsel says allowing this for elementary school aged children would not be wise. Counsel says there may be a responsibility for the School District when it comes “child care” and there are legal risks attached to that.

 

The Trustees wanted to accommodate parents in this situation, but made their decision temporary as they want to have time to develop a new policy.