Some parents of students at Francois Lake Elementary are frustrated over the lack of seats on the school bus, forcing them to drive their kids to school.
To further complicate the situation, the School District 91 (SD91) has no plans to put a larger bus on that route or increase the size of the current bus.
Under SD91 regulations, bus seats are assigned for students who live in the attendance area of a school, as Mike Skinner, assistant superintendent with SD91 told Lakes District News.
“Students not attending their attendance area school will only be picked up if there is no additional cost, if space is available and if the bus is not unduly delayed,” Skinner said.
“A bus is required to transport students living within the catchment area of Francois Lake School to and from school daily. As that bus leaves from the Burns Lake bus garage, seats not required for those in catchment students are set aside for out of catchment students attending that school. Currently we have 25 seats available for those students, leaving seven students on a waiting list. The bus serving Francois Lake accommodates 56 students safely and increasing the size of the bus would be an additional cost to the Board which would not meet School District policy.”
The assistant superintendent added that students on the waiting list would be accommodated if seats are freed up.
Blair McBride
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