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Published on
2026-05-11 16:00:29.263 +0000 UTC
Thank you for taking the time to learn more and share your thoughts. Here is the background and information you should know before taking the survey:
The Board of Education requested a full review of student transportation costs, which are currently approaching nearly $7M/year:
- Currently, the Ministry of Education and Child Care (MECC) provides $600K.
- Families pay fees that generate ~$2.4M.
- The District subsidizes ~$3.8M from the operating budget that could otherwise go to classrooms.
One option that emerged from the review is to explore staggered start and dismissal times for secondary schools:
- Secondary school start and dismissal times would be 15 minutes later than they are now (9:00 > 9:15 a.m. and 3:15 > 3:30 p.m.)
Benefits of changing to later start and dismissal times are:
- Increased operational efficiencies
- Less wait time before and after school for students
- Reduced waitlists for students wanting to ride the school bus
- Reduced supervision time at some schools
- BC Transit may be able to increase ridership
- Estimated $600,000 annual savings
Potential impacts include:
- Adjustment to personal schedules for secondary students, staff, and families (e.g. sports, jobs, extra-curricular activities)
- Adjustment to secondary school schedules and programs
- Change would affect all secondary students, not only bus riders
- BC Transit would need time to adjust schedules
Timeline:
The District has consulted with District Student Council, Central Okanagan Parent Advisory Council, and secondary administrators.
- May 11 - May 29: The following survey is open to get feedback
- June: Report to the Board of Education for consideration
If the Board of Education's decision in June is to proceed with this change, the implementation could be as early as September 2026.
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