School District 22 Bus Rules

[Walkontough]

The new bus rules for kids lacks planning and public consultation. You can't use a compass and draw a circle to create a 2.4 km radius for walk distance without considering the roads in which kids have to walk. I have read quite a bit about the kids on Aberdeen Road and parental concerns. What about the kids on SIlver STar Road that have to walk down to BX elementary? I can't imagine feeling comfortable with that situation, given the traffic and narrow road. What about the kids who have to walk up Tronson Road from Kin Beach. SAme thing applies, there is no shoulder, the road is windy and it is very dangerous. So safety is definitely an issue for many kids. Also; we have 3 high schools in Vernon, each does not offer the same types of classes. In addition, we have a single track French Immersion School which is recognized for it's curriculum and success. Why can't we offer a diversity of choices for kids to pursue their education? WE can only do this if there is flexibility in the riding of the buses and ensuring we have routes to accommodate them, or public transit (city) and SD's communicate to ensure there is transportation that can be utilized. This is not the 60's, most parents work. WE can get our kids to work but not home. What about busing one way. What would have happened if the SD would have just charged all the user $160 - $200 per year for the bus. Would this enabled the bus schedule to have remained the same and parents happy that their kids are safe and have choices. I personally would have been glad to even pay for public transit but alas we don't have transit the serves all of Vernon due to it's rural nature. I hope that Vernon tax payers scrutinize their SD candidates closely and vote for change. Get candidates that support kids and parents. Ensure that choices are there for your kids future success.

[wanderingman]

IN TOWN Parents should be responsible to get their kids to school.The school bus is just another form of social welfare
I walked to school in Vernon on the same streets and never saw nor heard of any problems in many years

[okanaganchoppers]

My children attend a private school. I am very thankful I have this option. Both the school district and the City of Vernon refuse to allow pupils of private schools to transport using their bus(es). What the heck? I pay taxes like everyone else.

Is this fair in your opinion?

I totally understand there are numerous citizens who do not have school age children, disabled household members, no garbage collection, no door delivered mail service, etc.

We all pay the same property taxes.

I just think not allowing children to ride a tax paid school bus unfair. Am I unjustified?

Appreciate your honest response.

[wanderingman]

My children attend a private school. I am very thankful I have this option. Both the school district and the City of Vernon refuse to allow pupils of private schools to transport using their bus(es). What the heck? I pay taxes like everyone else.

Is this fair in your opinion?

I totally understand there are numerous citizens who do not have school age children, disabled household members, no garbage collection, no door delivered mail service, etc.

We all pay the same property taxes.

I just think not allowing children to ride a tax paid school bus unfair. Am I unjustified?

Appreciate your honest response.

Your kid should absolutely have the same rights to that school bus as do the others. When we get our tax notices there are no allowable deductions because we either have no kids using the system or kids and not using the system.Its redicuolus that your kid just because they attend a private school cant ride on the bus as long as you don't expect a special route diversion just for your kid. BUT as you know governments ideals never make good sense at any time.Look at civic elections and referendums
I own a million in property in Vernon and I get one vote and you are on welfare and living rent free and you get the same vote as I do even though iam the one held responsible for the tax bill and you get the same use of services as I do?? You want to talk about fair>? don't get me going

[GordonH]

Here what happens when school buses get contracted out to un-properly trained drivers. This accident was preventable if driver had not been going faster then condition called for. http://www.castanet.net/news/Vernon/106 ... -bus-crash

[okanaganchoppers]

Kudos, but why was it contracted out? Because the local school board refuses to allow children not enrolled in public schools an option to utilize the public school transportation.

In all honesty this accident could have happened to any bus driver. It's not as if the public school bus drivers have extensive training and are much more prepared for any eventuality. I hope you were not serious on that post!

[GordonH]

Kudos, but why was it contracted out? Because the local school board refuses to allow children not enrolled in public schools an option to utilize the public school transportation.

In all honesty this accident could have happened to any bus driver. It's not as if the public school bus drivers have extensive training and are much more prepared for any eventuality. I hope you were not serious on that post!

Here is the problem each school district has a budget that they must stay within, so to add the buses needed to pickup private school students. Would mean going over on budget which they can't do. Every year in the news there are battles between school districts & Ministry of Education over budget short falls, school district lose those and are forced to cut somewhere.

As to the accident I posted earlier, I've talked to a number of drivers in another district in the area. They all said the same thing, prior to actual accident the bus was traveling faster then road condition allowed.
In my opinion school district school bus drivers are much better trained then contracted out drivers.

[Silverstarqueen]

It may be time for this area to upgrade its public bus services. With the numbers of school children that might use it, and parents who would have to pay of course, it might be a more viable option to add some runs in the early morning, and afternoon. I am hoping and presuming bus service will continue for rural children, but who knows how long that will last. This would also provide an option for private school kids as well. Private school parents school taxes go to their school, but their non-school property taxes would support the community bus option.This might mean that everyone in the area would have to pay more property tax for the expanded bus service, but I personally think that would be acceptable because anyone can use the service.
I am wondering about the logic of concentrating schools in town, fine if most of the people are there, but then wanting to have more pockets of neighborhoods farther from town, and then telling parents they have to figure out for themselves how the children get to school. What about people who bought a house outside of town, with the expectation of bus service continuing, and now finding they have bought in the wrong place, with not even a community transit available.

[Dizzy1]

Here what happens when school buses get contracted out to un-properly trained drivers. This accident was preventable if driver had not been going faster then condition called for. http://www.castanet.net/news/Vernon/106 ... -bus-crash

You do realize that that driver went through the exact same licensing requirements as anyone else with the same class license?

[GordonH]

Here what happens when school buses get contracted out to un-properly trained drivers. This accident was preventable if driver had not been going faster then condition called for. http://www.castanet.net/news/Vernon/106 ... -bus-crash

You do realize that that driver went through the exact same licensing requirements as anyone else with the same class license?

To get licensing is the same true.
That's where the similarities change, is with the employer standards and on going training. School districts are much higher in both area's compared to private contractors.

[Dizzy1]

To get licensing is the same true.
That's where the similarities change, is with the employer standards and on going training. School districts are much higher in both area's compared to private contractors.

The hiring standards are different but there really isn't much in ongoing training. Point is that a driver for a contractor can be just as qualified as one for a school district but maybe the school district wasn't hiring at the time. That can be a very nasty corner in icy conditions and in all honesty, could have happened to anyone and choosing to bu the bus in the ditch instead of going over the embankment was a smart move

[GordonH]

The hiring standards are different but there really isn't much in ongoing training. Point is that a driver for a contractor can be just as qualified as one for a school district but maybe the school district wasn't hiring at the time. That can be a very nasty corner in icy conditions and in all honesty, could have happened to anyone and choosing to bu the bus in the ditch instead of going over the embankment was a smart move

I guess will defer on going training, those same drivers I talked with did say the driver did the right move in the end by going for the ditch.

[Walkontough]

Funding to School District's is based on per pupil in the public school system. School Boards are then tasked to deliver the curriculum, hire teachers, heat schools and then bus kids if they still can out of the funds. So when you talk about private schools the boards are getting "0" dollars for these kids in the equation (thats my understanding); therefore no bus for these kids. For those of you on the forum who think municipal "school tax" goes to the school board. That does not happen, this goes to general revenue for the province and there is no direct correlation to the school's needs or budgets it just goes into the pot.

My point in the forum is that there is a shrinking pot, absolutely. So in order to determine where the pot is to be divided the school board has to seek parental feedback, they need to look at their strategic partners (parents and the "city"), we all have to seek ways to expand the services to ensure that the priorities of the school board to provide diversified education choices for kids, coupled with budget constraints match the entire plan. Just simply cutting the service isn't the answer… one way service might be part of the answer, enhanced city transportation on major routes "throughout the municipality" might be another… The bottom line is decisions can't be made in isolation within just the board office or amongst board people… Get the City on Board. Parents.. rally to get funding for transportation,,, Christie Clark wants to be Carbon Neutral… she can't do that by having every parent drive their kids to school… Transportation needs to be pulled out of the public school equation and funded separately per student coupled with a user pay system.. and yes private schools pay taxes so they should be a part of getting the subsidized "taxed" service. The only way that can happen is by having transportation being separate.

[wanderingman]

Funding to School District's is based on per pupil in the public school system. School Boards are then tasked to deliver the curriculum, hire teachers, heat schools and then bus kids if they still can out of the funds. So when you talk about private schools the boards are getting "0" dollars for these kids in the equation (thats my understanding); therefore no bus for these kids. For those of you on the forum who think municipal "school tax" goes to the school board. That does not happen, this goes to general revenue for the province and there is no direct correlation to the school's needs or budgets it just goes into the pot.

My point in the forum is that there is a shrinking pot, absolutely. So in order to determine where the pot is to be divided the school board has to seek parental feedback, they need to look at their strategic partners (parents and the "city"), we all have to seek ways to expand the services to ensure that the priorities of the school board to provide diversified education choices for kids, coupled with budget constraints match the entire plan. Just simply cutting the service isn't the answer… one way service might be part of the answer, enhanced city transportation on major routes "throughout the municipality" might be another… The bottom line is decisions can't be made in isolation within just the board office or amongst board people… Get the City on Board. Parents.. rally to get funding for transportation,,, Christie Clark wants to be Carbon Neutral… she can't do that by having every parent drive their kids to school… Transportation needs to be pulled out of the public school equation and funded separately per student coupled with a user pay system.. and yes private schools pay taxes so they should be a part of getting the subsidized "taxed" service. The only way that can happen is by having transportation being separate.

OK then answer this WHY are people like me with no kids paying full bore school taxes and why are people with kids and paying for private school paying school taxes then??? so in reality we are paying for your kids to take the bus but ours are not allowed that's what makes no sense

[Silverstarqueen]

OK then answer this WHY are people like me with no kids paying full bore school taxes and why are people with kids and paying for private school paying school taxes then??? so in reality we are paying for your kids to take the bus but ours are not allowed that's what makes no sense

Everyone is paying for the school system, because everyone benefits whether they have children or not. Everyone went to school, everyone goes to a doctor, dentist, mechanic, whatever, who went to the school system, so everyone pays for that person's education as well. Our society has agreed for the most part that this is how schools will be payed for. Parents who choose to send their child to a private school, which is funded at a different rate by the province, chose that option. No one put a gun to their head and made them do it. They could send their children to public school and have it more fully funded, but they choose not to. Some private school costs (I would guess a fair amount) goes toward the building and its upkeep. That does not belong to the province, so why should the province pay for it? If people don't like the way private school funding works, or what they are getting or not getting for their money, they should not use it. I am in favor of the choice being availabe, I even think it's nice that private schools get some funding, but I am not in favor of people using that system and then complaining about it.