Families in the Langley school district will benefit from improved transportation services, thanks to $260,000 in funding under the new provincial Student Transportation Fund.

Langley MLA Mary Polak and Langley-Aldergrove MLA Rich Coleman announced today, on behalf of Education Minister Mike Bernier, that the Langley school district will use the new funding to eliminate bus fees for eligible students riding the school bus in their catchment area. International students and students riding buses outside of their catchment area will continue to pay bus fees.

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.

Quotes:

Mary Polak, MLA for Langley –

“In a world where everything costs more, the elimination of fees for eligible students will give parents a little more room in their budgets to do more of what they want for their families.”

Rich Coleman, MLA for Langley-Aldergrove –

“Through sound fiscal management the B.C. Liberal government was able to create the Student Transportation Fund and in turn eliminate bus fees within Langley. Thank you to the Langley School District for collaborating with us and identifying this increase to affordability for the families of students in our community.”

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