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School board to look at new legislation regarding school fees and transportation regulations

Province initiates new school fees and costs regulation law
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School bus fees have been eliminated for students living 2.4 kilometers or more from their designated school and for special-needs students and kindergarten students traveling home over the noon hour. Treena Mielke Photo

A new school fees and costs regulation and the School Transportation Regulation, which came into law on June 5, will be discussed by Wolf Creek Public Schools at its next board meeting.

Superintendent of Wolf Creek Public Schools Jayson Lovell was not available for comment Tuesday, but a spokesperson said the new law will be reviewed by the board in the near future.

Under the new legislation, the ability for school boards to charge for textbooks, workbooks, printing, photocopying and paper as well as bus fees for students living 2.4 kilometres or more from their designated schools has been removed.

Busing fees for students who live 2.4 kilometers or more from the school which they attend and travel on municipal transit will be required to only pay the difference between provincial transportation funding and the cost of a municipal transit pass.

As well, ministerial approval is now required for fees increasing by more than five per cent year-over-year.

David Eggen, Minister of Education said the fees have gone unregulated for too long.

“We will continue to work with parents, school boards and other education partners to make even further reductions to fees in the years ahead.”

School boards are responsible for setting school fees within the five per cent limit. Items like school bell times and professional development days are also at the sole discretion of individual school boards.