In light of the ongoing disruption in school transportation, education leaders from across Renfrew County are coming together to call out what they say is the provincial government’s lack of funding for school transportation.
A contract dispute between the Renfrew County Joint Transportation Consortium (RCJTC) and the school bus operators has stalled bus service for the first three weeks of school. Operators are saying they need more money to address the 30-70 per cent increases in costs they’re facing. The consortium says it can’t meet those demands without affecting schools and student programs.
Presidents of a number of area teacher unions gathered this week in front of MPP John Yakabuski’s office to demand the government provide sufficient funding to school boards to address the increased costs of transportation in the county and get the buses back on the road.
Christian Sell, teacher bargaining unit president for OSSTF District 28 (Renfrew County), says the issue has been building for some time.
The gathering was designed to highlight the funding shortfalls in education that are resulting in the ongoing transportation crisis, said Sell.
The union leaders say changes to the funding formula have resulted in the school bus operators being unable to afford to keep going. It’s time the province take action, said Sell.
More than 10,000 students and their families are affected, said Sell, and people are feeling the effects.
Parents are forced to drive their kids to school, meaning extra costs for gas, car maintenance, etc. and they are missing work to do the drop-offs and pickups.
Sell said they’ve had multiple reports from teachers saying some students say they can’t come to school every day because parents can’t afford it. There was even one report of a child doing their best to get suspended to ease the burden on their parents, he said.
They’re also hearing of Grade 12 students leaving their last class of the day early to avoid the traffic jam at their school to get to their part-time jobs.
It’s disheartening to know some students are missing school altogether.
The crisis, said Sell, is also disproportionately affecting marginalized students and their families.
Not only are the unions jointly calling on the government to ensure all boards have sufficient transportation funding, said Sell, but that the funding be adjusted to meet inflationary costs. Along with OSSTF, joining the call to action are: Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) LOCALS 1247 and 1321, Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) Renfrew County, and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) Renfrew Unit.
School bus operators are scheduled to meet with RCJTC officials, along with directors of education for both the public and Catholic boards, on Monday, Sept. 23.
(Written by Sherry Haaima)