Kootenay Lake School Board Briefs: Busing could cost parents cold hard cash
By Erin Perkins
Beginning this September parents who choose to send their children to a school outside of the catchment area where they live will have to pay $20 a month or $200 a year for busing expenses, said school district superintendent Jeff Jones.
Last year the district had 500 students, or roughly 10 per cent of the student population, who attended schools, by choice, outside of the catchment area.
Those children who have been assigned a school outside of their catchment area by the school district will not have to pay the fee, said Jones.
The school district will continue to offer transportation assistance to parents who live more than 2.5 kilometers away from a bus stop for elementary students and 3 kilometers away for secondary school students.
They pay upwards of $12 a day or $240 a month for parents to drive their kids to the bus stop.
Bus driver commended for award
Blewett bus driver John Nykiforuk has been awarded the 2012 School Bus Driver of the Year award by the Association of School Transportation Services of BC for his stellar driving and unique approach to motivating students to behave on the bus.
“The board would like to thank John for his dedication, commitment and heart as he works with students every day and is leaving such a positive legacy in the lives of children,” said board chair Melanie Joy.
“We are very proud of John and the many other bus drivers in our District who put so much passion into their work.”
Nykiforuk, an avid hockey referee who has been with the school district since January 2003, has an “impeccable, unblemished driving record” according to the announcement on the School District 8 website.
One of his outstanding achievements is the recent implementation of a “Books on the Bus” program.
The students on his current bus route has some behavioural issues that Nykiforuk chose to help in a positive way by bringing children’s books onto the bus during his route which promoted literacy and gave the students something to do while riding.
