Lethbridge Public School District Busses

By Lara Fominoff

Lethbridge city council approves extension for school district bussing transition

Jan 27, 2020 | 4:57 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Lethbridge Public and Holy Spirit Catholic School Divisions will now have until July 31, 2021 to hammer out a new student bussing agreement, after city council voted last November not to renew its contract with them. The original deadlines was June 30, 2020.

The City of Lethbridge has been responsible for student bussing for the last 50 years, however severing the contract was part of sweeping recommendations by consultants KPMG, in the Phase One Fiscal and Operational Review Report last fall.

Representatives from both school divisions initially asked council to reconsider its decision, indicating that they were not notified of the direction that the city intended to take.

At Monday’s meeting (Jan. 27), a letter was presented to councillors outlining several issues with the transition, and asking for additional time to iron them out. They include implementing a new safety plan, valuation of the fleet and transfer of ownership, acquisition of land, determination of facility necessary for servicing, personnel procedures including the recruitment and hiring of approximately 60 employees, obtaining government approval for operation, and development of a legal framework for operation.

Lethbridge School Division Board Chair Clark Bosch says the “homework extension” will allow for the best possible solutions for parents, students and employees.

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“We are able now, to allow our bussing to be done in the best possible way for our parents and our students. This extra year of transition will allow us to explore all avenues, and that’s really the most important thing. That we are enabled now to make sure our parents will get the best possible situation when they bus their children.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Holy Spirit School Division Chair, Judy Lane.

“The longer we have, the better…it’s not what we would have wanted, but it’s kind I guess, to say that the city did give us the extension and our plan is to work together and to do the best we can with what we’ve got.”

During the meeting, Councillor Belinda Crowson said there was a difference between getting it done, and “doing it right;” still working with the districts towards the same goal but doing so with the knowledge of the challenges they are facing.

Councillor Joe Mauro told council that they were tasked with making some very difficult decisions, and there would likely be more in the future.

“I sure hope that now, every decision that we make where we are on track with our reviews and recommendations that come from those reviews – if we’re going to revisit every one of them, then I suggest we stop doing the reviews right now.”

That concern was expressed as well by Mayor Chris Spearman.

“When you’re in a governance role, it’s important to provide clear direction, and if we begin reversing decisions on difficult decisions because of community pressure, we want to be very careful how we do that.”

If progress is made faster by the school divisions the transfer of services could occur prior to the July 31 deadline. According to administration, there are more than 150 issues that have been identified that will have to be worked out.