At the December 17, 2019 public Board meeting, Trustees approved a new fee schedule for student transportation.

Bill 1: An Act to Reduce School Fees was proclaimed in June 2017 which removed the ability for school boards to charge transportation fees for eligible students who resided 2.4 km or more from their designated school. To offset the loss of bus pass revenue, Edmonton Catholic School Division was provided with the School Fee Reduction grant for transportation. This grant was discontinued in the October 24, 2019 provincial budget resulting in a reduction of $2.7 million in funding for student transportation.

Edmonton Catholic School Division has actively pursued operational efficiencies through tiered and shared bussing which required an adjustment in some schools’ hours of operation, as well as collaborating with Edmonton Public Schools on shared bussing arrangements. These initiatives implemented for the 2018-19 school year resulted in approximately $1.8 million savings in operational costs. However, additional efficiencies are not possible without negatively impacting schools and families.

It is essential that funding is prioritized for the classroom and after careful consideration, it is necessary to reinstate bus pass fees for all students, effective February 1, 2020 in order to sustain the current transportation service levels. The new Student Transportation fee schedule is below for your reference.

There will be no changes to school fees for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.

Student Transportation Fees - Prior to February 1st, 2020
Student Transportation Fees - Effective February 1st, 2020
Communication to Families Regarding Transportation Fees - Effective February 2020