B.C. school districts have until Sept. 30 to apply for a new $14.7 million fund to assist with student bus service.
Education Minister Mike Bernier announced the fund Wednesday. It requires districts to submit a plan on how the money will be used to "boost transportation services," by adding new routes, improving disability access and bus stops or improving access to public transit.
But the criteria also include "funding existing transportation services and inviting the savings into enhanced student services," according to the ministry statement. That would make the grant effectively part of the district's general revenue.
To qualify, school districts would have to drop fees charged to parents for school bus service. Fees have been charged in Central Okanagan, Chilliwack, Langley, Maple Ridge, Peace River North, Sooke, Saanich and Cowichan school districts.
It's the third funding injection for schools in recent months. As the school year wound down in June, Bernier announced another $2 million fund where districts could apply to keep that were scheduled to be closed.
Bernier also announced this spring he was reinstating $25 million in administration savings required from districts. Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows had eliminated its school bus service and planned to use the administrative fund to bring it back on a trial basis, with fees increased from $215 per student to $416.
Abbotsford school district to increase its fees by $100 to $400 per student and $600 per family.
The school bus funding formula is weighted towards districts with large rural areas. Cariboo-Chilcotin is eligible for the largest amount at $739,024, followed by Prince George at $687,663, Kamloops-Thompson at $666,817, Central Okanagan at $600,000, Coast Mountains at $557,786, North Okanagan-Shuswap at $561, 925 and Nechako Lakes at $503,247.
School bus funding by district:
5 Southeast Kootenay - $361,459
6 Rocky Mountain - $369,399
8 Kootenay Lake - $419,602
10 Arrow Lakes - $42,675
19 Revelstoke - $49,847
20 Kootenay-Columbia - $242,977
22 Vernon - $361,094
23 Central Okanagan - $600,000
27 Cariboo-Chilcotin - $739,024
28 Quesnel - $274,209
33 Chilliwack - $329,456
34 Abbotsford - $253,969
35 Langley - $260,000
36 Surrey - $72,999
37 Delta - $41,933
38 Richmond - $21,608
39 Vancouver - $53,423
40 New Westminster - $6,073
41 Burnaby - $24,841
42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows - $185,990
43 Coquitlam - $81,641
44 North Vancouver - $40,566
45 West Vancouver - $84,722
46 Sunshine Coast - $380,465
47 Powell River - $91,754
48 Sea to Sky - $265,534
49 Central Coast - $80,277
50 Haida Gwaii - $149,851
51 Boundary - $153,588
52 Prince Rupert - $117,597
53 Okanagan Similkameen - $209,099
54 Bulkley Valley - $163,737
57 Prince George - $687,663
58 Nicola-Similkameen - $170,292
59 Peace River South - $441,458
60 Peace River North - $425,785
61 Greater Victoria - 20,027
62 Sooke - $358,365
63 Saanich - $280,000
64 Gulf Islands -$328,264
67 Okanagan Skaha - $167,035
68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith - $244,630
69 Qualicum - $426,341
70 Alberni - $71,717
71 Comox Valley - $421,375
72 Campbell River - $316,860
73 Kamloops/Thompson - $666,817
74 Gold Trail - $366,932
75 Mission - $188,900
78 Fraser-Cascade - $184,576
79 Cowichan Valley - $283,524
81 Fort Nelson - $32,744
82 Coast Mountains - $557,786
83 North Okanagan-Shuswap - $561,925
84 Vancouver Island West - $57,593
85 Vancouver Island North - $118,179
87 Stikine - $51,181
91 Nechako Lakes - $503,247
92 Nisga'a - $130,091
93 Conseil scolaire francophone - $150,415
