Parents urge CBE to rethink busing changes at protest
Several dozen parents protested outside Calgary Board of Education headquarters Tuesday in opposition to plans to move 1,500 children from yellow school buses to city transit.
A few children milled around while their parents held brightly coloured signs and voiced concerns over cost, long commute times and safety.
One fluorescent pink sign read: “Should I leave my job to only drop and pick up my kids!?” A bright yellow one read: “Keep children safe, bring back yellow bus.”
Inside the building, Balraj Nijjar told the board it didn’t properly consult parents before cutting buses. He hopes the board will reverse its decision so that his 10-year-old son doesn’t have to take city transit in winter.
“We are requesting as parents please, please reinstate our bus service. Please think about us as human beings,” said Nijjar.
The school board gave Nijjar and one other parent protesting outside three minutes each to talk. The trustees did not ask the parents any questions.
Nijjar already met with the province on June 10 and was surprised to find out that the province is giving the CBE an additional $18 million to reduce school fees, including busing costs.
Under the proposed changes, parents with students in alternative schools will have to pay up to $700, or $70 a month, for a youth bus pass from Calgary Transit. The CBE is also changing start times and ending classes early on Fridays for many schools, causing problems for parents trying to pick up and drop off their children.
One mother at the protest said her two daughters, ages six and nine, are now scheduled to start school about an hour apart. She isn’t comfortable leaving them alone on Calgary transit, but doesn’t know how she’ll be able to drop her younger daughter off at 8:10 a.m., then her other daughter at 9:05 a.m.
“There’s nowhere to drop her off before school starts at 9:05, so what am I supposed to do — wait in the car with her for an hour?”
Protesters had hoped more than 100 people would attend, but there were at best around one-third of that number.
CBE chair Joy Bowen-Eyre said the board announced changes now so parents would have time to find alternate arrangements before the school year starts in September. She suggested parents could address long commute times by car pooling or taking turns driving with other families.
“We’re trying to communicate as early as possible so that parents have the opportunity to make some difficult choices if necessary,” said Bowen-Eyre.
Even if the board doesn’t act, the province may step in. Last week Education Minister David Eggen ordered an operational review of CBE following parent concerns over busing costs. The CBE is currently the only school board in the province under review.