More students in Summerland and Penticton will be eligible to take the bus to school in the coming school year, but there will be a charge for this service.
Changes to the Okanagan Skaha School District’s transportation policy were adopted at the April 30 school board meeting.
The walk limits have also been reduced for students.
For students from Kindergarten to Grade 7, bus service will be available for those living 2.5 kilometres or further from their schools, while students in Grade 8 to 12 living more than 3.2 kilometres from their catchment schools will be eligible for bus service.
Previously, the limits had been four kilometres for students from Kindergarten to Grade 7 and 4.8 kilometres for those from Grade 8 to Grade 12.
The changes to walk limits will allow more students to qualify as eligible riders in the system, the school district says.
A second change imposes transportation fees for those who ride the school bus.
For eligible riders — those students attending schools in their neighbourhood catchment area — the fee is $75 a year, while for courtesy riders, who attend schools outside their catchment areas, the fee is $225 a year.
Transportation is mainly unfunded by the province’s Ministry of Education and Child Care, and school districts are not mandated to provide bus transportation.
The Okanagan Skaha School District spends around $800,000 on school bus transportation, after a small subsidy from the ministry.
The board says charging the bus fee will allow the school board to maintain bus service.
The fees will be implemented in the coming school year.
