File photo of a school bus. (Pexels)

By Justin Goulet

Province providing fuel cost relief to Alberta schools

Jun 22, 2022 | 10:25 AM

EDMONTON, AB – The provincial government is providing relief on fuel costs to schools across Alberta.

Eligible school authorities will receive more funding to address high gas prices for student transportation. This is a result of the Alberta government reinstating the Fuel Price Contingency Program, which will give public, separate, francophone and public charter school authorities greater cost certainty while monthly average diesel prices exceed $1.25 per litre.

The program will be enacted retroactively to March and will stay in place for the entire 2022-2023 school year, which the province says will provide millions of dollars in additional funding for student transportation.

Minister of Education Adriana LaGrange said, “by providing further fuel cost relief to support transportation services for more than 300,000 kindergarten to Grade 12 students, we are helping prevent service reductions and additional fees for families.”

“With high diesel prices expected to continue, Alberta’s government continues its commitment to ensuring school boards and public charter schools have predictable and sustainable transportation funding.”

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The program will provide roughly $8.2 million in additional student transportation funding from March through June of this year, based on an estimated average diesel price of $1.80 per litre. In July, eligible school authorities will receive payment for these four months, according to established bus route distances. The provincial government will continue to monitor fuel costs into the 2022-2023 school year and will provide cost relief accordingly.

The contingency funding comes on top of the $310 million allocated for student transportation for the current school year. The Government of Alberta has also provided school authorities with about $2 million in relief for the 2021-2022 school year by suspending collection of the 13-cent-per-litre provincial fuel tax on April 1.

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The province says over the next three years, student transportation funding will go up by $39 million to help address rising costs for insurance, fuel, parts and supplies, and driver training. There is a $9 million increase in 2022-2023 and increases of $15 million for each of the next two fiscal years. The 4.6% increase is on top of the 5% increase implemented in the previous 2020-2021 budget.