MOOSE JAW — Delivering students by bus is Prairie Â鶹ÊÓƵ School Division’s preferred method of transportation, but it recognizes that some circumstances may require other arrangements and is updating its policies to reflect that.
The division recently updated board policy 17 so it aligns with administrative procedure 556 and administrative procedure 557, which deal with, respectively, transportation, conveyance allowance, and allowance in lieu of bus service.
The policy deals with Prairie Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s responsibility to provide transportation for students requiring access to school while it lays out provisions for the special use of buses to enable students to participate in learning and learning-related activities.
The main change to this document is under “conveyance allowance,” which previously read, “The daily maximum limit for authorized conveyance allowance will not exceed $50. Parents and/or guardians seeking conveyance allowance exceeding $50 may submit a request for review by the board.”
The updated section now reads, “The daily maximum limit for authorized conveyance allowance is outlined in administrative procedure 556: conveyance allowance.”
In AP 556, under “eligibility for conveyance allowance,” the updated document now reads, “The daily rate of conveyance allowance will be the same mileage expense rate established at the annual board organizational meeting. The daily maximum limit for authorized conveyance allowance will not exceed $80. Parents seeking conveyance allowance exceeding $80 may submit a request for review by the board.”
Therefore, the new maximum daily limit is $80 and not $50.
Furthermore, AP 556 says the division will calculate the actual amount of conveyance allowance — paid monthly — by multiplying the daily rate by two round trips — previously one trip — driven by the number of days in each calendar month when the student was in school.
For example, under the previous conveyance allowance procedure and calculations, parents could be eligible for up to $124.80 when driving their children to school. The updated AP 556 now says parents are eligible for up to $440.96.
Both of these changes are aimed more at parents in rural areas than in the city.
Meanwhile, AP 557, allowance in lieu of bus service, section 3 focuses on situations where the school division-operated bus is temporarily unable to run the regular route because of mechanical problems or lack of driver. In those cases, parents would be responsible for providing or arranging transportation to and from school for their kids.
If the bus is unavailable for four or more consecutive days, “beginning on the fifth day,” parents are eligible for two round trips — previously one — paid at the per kilometre conveyance allowance approved rate under AP 556.
Division administration presented these changes during the recent PSSD board meeting, with trustees agreeing to receive them.
Afterward, Ryan Boughen, director of education, confirmed that these changes will mostly affect parents in rural areas.
He pointed out that there are usually more spare drivers in the city who can fill in for regular operators. However, there are fewer drivers in rural communities, so it’s likely that students may be without bus service for four straight days and their parents may have to transport them to school.
The next PSSD board meeting is Tuesday, March 4.
