Starting Sept. 1, 2021, children 12 and under will be able to “Get on Board” any BC Transit or TransLink service for free as part of the provincial government’s commitment to efficient, reliable and affordable transit for families.

Students in the Sooke School District (SD 62) are leading the charge as the first to commute on British Columbia’s inaugural fleet of electric school buses, which began providing environmentally friendly service this week.

The Province, in partnership with BC Healthy Communities Society, has selected 11 schools to participate in a pilot project designed to increase the number of students using active transportation between home and school.

Enhanced safety measures and $121.2 million in federal funding are on the way, as the Province continues to strengthen health and safety plans in K-12 schools to keep students, teachers and staff safe during the pandemic.

Building on the Province’s $45.6-million investment to support a safe restart for B.C.’s schools, additional funding from the federal government will allow schools to expand health and safety measures, purchase more personal protective equipment (PPE) and increase capacity for remote learning.

Back to school plans for K-12 families are now posted for all 60 school districts, so parents and families can prepare to support their children for a safe return to the classroom.

Enhanced safety measures and additional resources will enable most students in grades K-12 to return to school on Sept. 8, 2020, with full-time in-class learning as the province moves to Stage 2 of B.C.’s Education Restart Plan.