The belt-tightening in Alberta's recent budget will have an affect on support for busing, according to Global News. The government is eliminating a fuel subsidy to schools, and this will increase costs for boards - cost which in some cases will be passed on to families.
One area of particular concern for us is possible increases in busing costs for those attending programs of choice. Often those attending programs of choice within the public system are forced to pay more for busing. This is understandable to some degree, because students may have to travel further for program of choice and this may present additional costs for school boards. However, cost increases on busing may make programs of choice prohibitively expensive for some families. We would encourage school boards to ensure that any changes to busing costs for programs of choice do not undermine the ability of all students to benefit from diverse educational options.