School boards to receive $8 million more in transportation funding
Budget increase to help with the rising cost of bussing kids to school
Edmonton... Alberta school jurisdictions will receive an additional $8 million to address the rising cost of transportation. With the increases provided under Budget 2006 and this $8 million, transportation funding for the 2006/2007 fiscal year will increase from $220 million to $240 million – a total increase of $20 million.
“This increase in school transportation funding will help to alleviate budget pressures that are beyond the normal control of school boards such as bus maintenance costs, and costs related to recruiting and retaining school bus drivers,” said Education Minister Gene Zwozdesky. “Our priority is to ensure that eligible students are transported safely each school day.”
The $8 million was earmarked from Budget 2006 to address emergent funding needs identified by the Minister’s Advisory Committee on the Funding Framework. The Committee recommended a transportation grant rate increase in order to address rising transportation cost pressures.
The Minister’s Advisory Committee on the Funding Framework was appointed by Zwozdesky last fall and consists of key representatives from the education stakeholders, and is responsible for reviewing the Renewed Funding Framework to ensure funding is distributed equitably among school jurisdictions.
This increase will provide each school board with a total transportation grant rate increase of 5.7 per cent for the 2006/2007 school year. Specific allocation amounts for each school jurisdiction will be based on eligible student passengers, as of September 30, 2006.
Since the 1999/2000 fiscal year, transportation funding has increased from $165 million to $240 million – an increase of $75 million, or 45 per cent, while the number of eligible student passengers has increased by 4.3 per cent.
