The provincial government is allocating funding to school authorities that will receive funding to support student transportation for the 2022/23 school year.
The Fuel Price Contingency Program is being reinstated to give public, separate, francophone and public charter school authorities greater cost certainty while monthly average diesel prices exceed $1.25 per litre, a provincial government media release said.
“By providing further fuel cost relief to support transportation services for more than 300,000 kindergarten to Grade 12 students, we are helping prevent service reductions and additional fees for families. With high diesel prices expected to continue, Alberta’s government continues its commitment to ensuring school boards and public charter schools have predictable and sustainable transportation funding,” Minister of Education Adriana LaGrange said.
The program will be enacted from March and remain in place for the 2022/23 school year.
The program is expected to provide about $8.2 million in additional student transportation funding from March through June, the release said.
Eligible school authorities will receive payment for four months according to established bus route distances, as the provincial government continues to monitor fuel costs in the upcoming school year and provide cost relief accordingly.
The program is in addition to the $310 million allocated to school transportation for the current school year. School authorities will also be provided with about $2 million for the 2021/22 school year.
“We appreciate the government’s commitment to supporting a strong transportation system in our communities. This funding will ensure that students can continue getting to school safely without significant cost increases to school boards,” president of the Alberta School Boards Association Marilyn Dennis said.
“We appreciate the government’s continued support for education and that they have recognized the higher-than-expected fuel costs for the current school year by providing increased funding retroactively to March. School authorities will benefit from greater certainty next school year as fuel costs remain high,” the president of the Association of School Business Officials of Alberta Tahra Sabir said.
Over three years, student transportation funding will increase by $39 million to address increasing costs for insurance, fuel, parts, supplies, and training.
The funding increased by $9 million in 2022/23, and will increase by $15 million in the next two fiscal years, the release said.
Fuel costs typically make up 20 to 25 per cent of a public, separate, francophone and public charter school authorities’ student transportation budget.
Student transportation funding levels in the 2022 budget were based on the forecasted average diesel price of $1.25 per litre and accounting for insurance, parts, supplies and training costs.
The program is implemented depending on diesel prices and ran from 2005 to 2009, and from 2011 to 2013.
