Families in the Surrey school district will benefit from improved transportation services, thanks to $72,999 in funding under the new provincial Student Transportation Fund.

Surrey-Fleetwood MLA Peter Fassbender announced today, on behalf of Education Minister Mike Bernier, that the Surrey school district will use the new funding to:

• Increase overall transportation safety in the district.
• Assist paying for bus transportation for students to attend sports and extracurricular activities – this will reduce costs for families and increase student participation.

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:

Peter Fassbender, MLA for Surrey-Fleetwood –

“I think parents and students alike are going to welcome expanded service for extra-curricular activities. This additional funding will also improve the overall safety and reliability of the service, putting parents’ minds at ease when their children are commuting to and from the classroom.”

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