Pembina Hills to lose $388,000 from proposed provincial school fee legislation

The provincial government’s proposed bill to reduce school transportation and instructional materials fees will see parents pocketing more money but school divisions scrambling to make up the lost revenue.

Alberta Minister of Education David Eggen introduced Bill 1: An Act to Reduce School Fees to the legislature March 2. If passed, the bill would end school board fees for instructional supplies or materials, and transportation fees for eligible students taking the bus to their designated school.

“Certainly it’s good news for parents against the backdrop of this economy,” said Pembina Hills Public Schools board chair Jennifer Tuininga.

According to Alberta Education, these two fees make up about 25 per cent of school fees, so eliminating them would save Alberta families about $50 million.

Currently Pembina Hills charges instructional material fees, which Tuininga said amounts to $388,000 per year. Beginning in the 2017/18 school year, that number will drop to zero.

Materials include textbooks, workbooks, photocopying, print and paper supplies.

Tuininga said the changes would affect all families in the school division, so at least 3,900 students in the division.

For instructional materials, the school division charges $60 for early childhood and kindergarten students, $70 for Grades 1-6, $110-$140 for Grade 7-12 depending on the school. There is also a family rate offered for $300.

However, Pembina Hills will not be impacted by the elimination of transportation fees for students travelling more than 2.4 kilometres to their designated school.

The school division does not charge fees for students who live and travel more than 2.4 kilometres to their designated school — typically students in rural areas. There is a charge for in-town transportation because those students live less than 2.4 kilometres — $175 for kindergarten, $350 for Grade 1-12. Students who chose not to attend their designated school are also charged a transportation fee — $225 for kindergarten, $450 for Grade 1-12.

Tuininga said she doesn’t know the details of how it will affect the school board’s budget, as the news was fairly recent, adding Pembina Hills must wait on the province to pass their budget March 16 before the school board could pass their own.

“All details around how this will play out hasn’t been released provincially yet,” she said. “We get our funding basically from the province, so whatever they release on the 16th, then we’ll know more.”

She said Pembina Hills would be sending out a letter, along with a letter from the minister. to parents to clarify how Bill 1 will impact families.

“We understand the minister will be working with school boards to develop and implement the regulations around Bill 1, so we’ll have to see where that money will be recouped from.”

She added that she expected an email to be sent out from the ministry outlining what those regulations will look like.

The Alberta Education website said that, “should the legislation be proclaimed, and these two specific fees effectively eliminated, we expect school boards to provide education services that are, at minimum, equal to their current levels.”