2020-21 CBE Transportation Budget & Services Engagement

The CBE transports 23,500 students on yellow school buses to and from school every day. For the 2019-20 school year, the user fee is $365 for students on general transportation yellow bus routes. Currently, the CBE pays $7.4 million more for transportation services than is provided through provincial funding and user fees. We cover the deficit with funds from our overall budget, meaning less money is available to support our schools and system. This deficit grows every year.

In January 2020, the Board of Trustees directed CBE administration to:

• Plan for a balanced 2020-21 transportation budget whereby all transportation expenses are covered through provincial transportation funding and user fees, as part of the 2020-21 budget.
• Obtain community feedback in support of the development of a balanced 2020-21 transportation budget.

Survey Report
An online survey was available to CBE students, staff, parents and community members March 4-18, 2020.

Read the survey report.

The survey had an extremely high level of participation with 10,000 people completing some or all of the survey. The purpose of the survey was to gather feedback from stakeholders to help inform the development of a balanced transportation budget for 2020-21 that does not require the use of learning dollars to subsidize transportation services.

Background
The CBE conducted extensive community engagement on transportation services and fees in 2016. There was significant input and feedback gathered at that time, which helps to inform the steps we will take to gather feedback in 2020. There were also two technical reviews for the CBE by School Bus Consultants in 2016 and 2017 and an Alberta Education Financial Review that provide valuable data and information about providing cost-effective transportation services. Steps were taken as a result of these reviews to gain operational efficiencies.

For more information on CBE transportation issues and actions we have taken to close the fiscal gap, please review our Transportation Snapshot 2019-20.

What is to be Decided?
The CBE must deliver transportation services that are sustainable into the future. As a responsible steward of public funds, the CBE makes budgeting decisions that affect students and their families. Some of these decisions involve difficult choices and so the CBE has decided that:

By spring 2020, the Calgary Board of Education will have gathered feedback from parents, students, staff and other stakeholders to inform the development of a balanced transportation budget for 2020-21 that does not require the use of learning dollars to subsidize transportation services.

On May 15, 2020 a decision about 2020-21 transportation services and fees was communicated. This decision was arrived at after considering the feedback gathered through the online survey and a variety of important factors. Multiple scenarios were considered before finalizing this decision.

Purpose of Engagement
The purpose of engaging stakeholders is to gather feedback from parents, students, staff and other stakeholders on how the CBE can provide a safe, reliable and cost-efficient program. Specifically, the 2020-21 budget gap must be closed.

Aspects of transportation services that will be considered within the engagement and potentially changed include:

• Eligibility for ridership (considers age, program affiliation and other factors)
• User fees
• Reductions in service

These are the factors stakeholders can influence. There are other factors we are looking at internally and with our Transportation Advisory Committee and sub-committees.

Read the full 2020-21 CBE Transportation Budget & Services Engagement Roadmap