Concerned South Cariboo parents got a chance to share their concerns directly with School District 27 last week.
Superintendent Cheryl Lenardon attended two meetings in the South Cariboo last week, one at Horse Lake Elementary School on Nov. 27 and one at Mile 108 Elementary School on Nov. 28. The meetings' topic was the changes made to SD27's bus routes which many parents have voiced concerns to. The 100 Mile Free Press attended the Nov. 28 meeting where 17 parents were joined by Cariboo Regional District Area G director Al Richmond, and Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson.
The meeting began with Lenardon acknowledging that SD27 should have done a better job at communicating with the parents about the school bus route changes and apologized for the oversight. The changes, which have been in effect since Sept. 4, enforce a policy requiring children living within three kilometres of their school to walk to school or be driven by their parents, as well as phasing out school-of-choice riders.
"Communication is important as it's presented in my first year - this will be an improvement," Lenardon told parents. However, she told concerned parents that a return to the previous model is neither sustainable, feasible, or possible.
In a statement given to the 100 Mile Free Press after the meeting, Lenardon noted that SD27 has one of the largest transportation fleets in B.C., and ranks near the top for total distance travelled annually.
"The way we were operating added to the pressure. We have been running additional routes to accommodate students travelling to schools other than their catchment schools, the numbers of stops was causing traffic issues, we had empty seats, excessive ride times for students, and busses travelling into areas they were not designed to go," Lenardon said.
She added that there will be another hard look at the bus system to address the challenges of having a sustainable transportation system that is not a disproportionate use of resources and is set up for students to attend their schools.
Following Lenardon's opening remarks at the meeting, parents then talked about the key concerns they had, such as the aforementioned lack of communication and transparency, as well as the challenges they now face because of the changes. They also requested that SD27 reinstate the old stops.
One of the parents who attended the meeting was Kolleah Olson, a 108 Mile Ranch resident with three children enrolled in SD27 schools, two at Mile 108 Elementary and one at Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School. Olson said the new bus route is "unbelievably messed up" because while SD27 had moved stops, buses still drive by the old stop.
"My daughter now has to get on the bus with my sons because the second bus doesn't go - that's fine. I totally understand that. But now they have to walk further, and same with all the other children that would have gotten on that bus," Olson explained.
The safety issues that Olson highlighted are that there are no sidewalks in the 108 Mile Ranch and that there will be snowploughs ploughing those roads as more snow falls.
"When a snowplough goes, they have to keep in motion. They won't see the kids. They might not even see the kids because they're ploughing the snow," Olson stated, adding that a snowplough cannot stop and it could just "plough the kid over".
Olson also pointed to icy road conditions causing hazards to cars and the presence of deer throughout the community.
Lenardon said that 108 Mile Ranch was developed without appropriate infrastructure for a residential neighbourhood of its density, and that there are partners responsible for the walkability conditions for families who need to be part of solutions.
"There may be work with partners to provide enhancements to pull-outs or stop locations with or without shelters for students to wait in, enhanced signage for speed and reminders about pedestrians, enhancements to snow ploughing and road maintenance, and bus safety awareness campaigns for students and drivers," Lenardon said. "We look forward to this collaboration."
As for the statement that a return to the old model is neither feasible, sustainable or possible, Olson called it "bulls--t."
"I see that bus travels pretty much everywhere where the bus used to go, and it only stops for a few seconds at each bus stop. It made no sense of taking away bus stops on the same route because it still goes the same way," Olson explained her feelings.
However, Olsen said that she knows SD27 did listen during the meeting.
"I hope they heard my voice, and I hope they heard everybody's voice," Olsen said.
Other concerned community members who attended the meeting include Tom and Denise Grantham, whose 12-year-old grandson goes to Mile 108 Elementary, while their 18-year-old grandson goes to PSO. Their 12-year-old grandson has to walk on the road or on the trail to get back home.
"He's encountered deers and dogs, and there's no shoulder on the road. It's just safety," Denise Grantham said.
As for their reaction to the statement given by SD27, they say that they want to see that given on paper.
"I don't know how they're saving any money doing what they're doing, and I don't know why they would say it's not feasible and it won't be done. I just don't understand it," Grantham said.
Doerkson told parents and SD27 staffers he planned to raise the issue when he returns to Victoria.
With files from Misha Mustaqeem and Patrick Davies.
