Families in the Cariboo-Chilcotin school district will benefit from improved transportation services, thanks to $739,024 in funding under the new provincial Student Transportation Fund.

Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett announced today, on behalf of Education Minister Mike Bernier, that the Cariboo-Chilcotin school district will use the new funding to:

• Add two new bus routes and extend one bus route.
• Restore hours worked by bus mechanics that were previously cut.
• Continue to maintain high-levels of service and safety standards.
• Reduce transit and wait times for students.

The new $14.7-million Student Transportation Fund was announced in August 2016 to help school districts provide affordable and accessible transportation for British Columbia families.

To be eligible for funding, school districts had to submit a plan to the Ministry of Education outlining how they will use the funding to enhance transportation services for students and families. The amount of funding for which a district is eligible is based on a formula tied to the ministry’s student-location factor, which is used to determine the rural makeup of a school district.

As a result of B.C.'s strong economic growth and fiscal discipline, government is able to support and fund projects that make a real difference in the lives of British Columbians.

Quote:

Donna Barnett, MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin –

“This is great news for our community. Safe and reliable transportation with reduced wait times is welcome news to parents and students, and the restored hours for mechanics keeps people working and our bus fleet in tip-top shape.”

Quick Facts:

The Student Transportation Fund builds on government’s recent investments to further strengthen B.C.’s education system and support student learning, including:

• $25 million of administrative savings returned to school districts to invest in students;
• $2-million Rural Education Enhancement Fund to help keep schools open;
• $28 million to ensure enrolment increases and labour settlements are covered; and,
• $6 million to train teachers on coding and new curriculum and to buy computers.

Learn More:

Read the Student Transportation Fund news release: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016EDUC0076-001429