Education minister hopes boards can resolve bus fuss
EDMONTON Alberta’s education minister won’t rule out forcing Edmonton’s public and Catholic school boards to share a bus system.
A lack of respect from public trustees is preventing the two boards from creating a joint bus system that could save $2.5 million a year and see students spend less time on the bus, Catholic board chairman Terry Harris said Tuesday.
However, new legislation grants Education Minister David Eggen the power to direct two or more school boards to co-operate on student transportation, and require them to “enter into specific transportation arrangements.”
Eggen doesn’t want to strongarm the boards into playing nice, press secretary Lindsay Harvey said in a Wednesday email. He’ll be calling Harris soon for a chat, she said.
“I encourage both boards to work together on this in a timely manner, as it is in the best interest of students and I know that both boards make all decisions based on what is best for students,” a written statement from Eggen said.
At issue is the establishment of the Edmonton Student Transportation Authority, an independent corporation that would run one bus system to serve students in both school districts.
Edmonton public administrators, who are gung-ho about the plan, say the new approach could prevent bus fees from rising, save parents and school boards money, and would be better for the environment. This school year, Edmonton Catholic’s transportation budget is $20.3 million, and Edmonton Public’s is $46.5 million.
Harris said Tuesday some public trustees have exhibited “not the needed level of mutual respect that we would have to have, to have that sort of a relationship.”
In a Wednesday blog post, Edmonton Public trustee Michael Janz questioned whether the Catholic trustees are “daring the minister to impose a deal.”
“I can’t help but wonder if this is part of a greater game of political chess on the part of the hardline elements in their quarrels with the government over ‘Totalitarianism,’ separate Catholic school funding, gay rights, Catholic hospitals, assisted dying, ‘sex-free’ sex education, GSAs, transgender rights, etc.,” Janz wrote.