Busing Review Recommends Reducing Walking Distance for Students

A provincial review of school busing has recommended reducing the maximum distance students must walk before being eligible to ride the bus.

The review, the first examination of student busing in more than a decade, contains 14 recommendations.

"I am pleased to have this report in hand," said Education Minister Karen Casey. "Our priority with this review is to make sure students are walking reasonable distances to school in conditions that are safe."

"I will be carefully considering its recommendations and provide my response this spring," she said.

Ms. Casey said department staff, in consultation with school boards, will take some time to assess the financial and operational implications of the report's recommendations. As a result, there will be no changes to pupil transportation regulations before September 2009.

The review, conducted by consultant Chester Sabean, examined Education Act regulations and school board busing policies, including the maximum distance students must walk before being eligible to ride a school bus.

In his report, Mr. Sabean recommends reducing the maximum walking distance under the Education Act from 3.6 kilometres to 1.6 kilometres for elementary students, and three kilometres for secondary students. Both distances mirror practices of other provinces.

"I wanted to strike a balance in this review that recognized the value of daily physical exercise for youth while ensuring student safety," Mr. Sabean said.

Recommendations also include:

• School boards retain authority under the regulations to provide courtesy busing where dangerous conditions warrant.
• A limit on the maximum time young children are expected to travel on a school bus.
• Younger children should not be picked up before 7 a.m. and dropped off after 5 p.m.
• Each school board employ a routing technician specialist.
• A funding formula based on total enrolment, the number of transported students and other criteria.

Mr. Sabean's review took eight months and included public input from 569 individuals and organizations.

School boards in Nova Scotia bus about 94,000 students, or 63 per cent of all students, to school every day on about 1,200 buses. Last year, school boards spent about $50 million or six per cent of budgets transporting students.

The report can be viewed at www.ednet.ns.ca/events/walkingdistance . Members of the public can comment on the report by e-mail or by writing to the Department of Education, Corporate Policy, P.O. Box 578, Halifax, N.S., B3J 2S9. Submissions will be accepted until March 21.