The Friday bus is back at Bowen Island Community School.
The West Vancouver school district recently received $84,722 in provincial funding to get the wheels rolling at Bowen after Friday bus service was cancelled in 2010 as a cost-saving measure.
“It was creating congestion problems at the school because everyone was dropping off at the same time,” noted school district secretary treasurer Julia Leiterman.
While other regions of the school district are well served, Bowen Island’s lack of sidewalks and road shoulders make walking to school a dangerous proposition, according to Leiterman.
The funding is part of $14.7 million in provincial money spread among 60 school districts based on the rural makeup of each region.
The funding should make transportation “more accessible and affordable,” according to Minister of Education Mike Bernier.
The infusion of cash is greatly appreciated, according to Leiterman.
“It was great that the ministry recognized there was an issue. They’re always asking us to cut administrative costs and that was just not a great one,” she said.
The provincial funding includes $40,566 for North Vancouver School District, money earmarked to improve bus service for the district’s 41 students with special needs.
Due to budgetary constraints, students who take the bus are often 10 to 15 minutes late in the morning and sometimes need to leave 10 to 15 minutes early in the afternoon, according to Deneka Michaud, communications manager with NVSD.
Part of the money will go towards paying for more hours for the district’s bus drivers, thus getting kids into school on time and letting them leave on time.
The money will also allow the district to hire an extra driver to ferry kids to community programs like swimming, dance and music therapy, and pairing students with special needs with mentors and coaches.
