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School district looks at bus route to accommodate Rutherford-area students

School district passes motion for staff to look into route to piggyback off existing route
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Nanaimo school district will look at expanding school bus service around Frank J. Ney Elementary to accommodate students being displaced from Rutherford Elementary. (NEWS BULLETIN file)

Nanaimo school district will look at expanding school bus service around Frank J. Ney Elementary to accommodate students being displaced from Rutherford Elementary.

The school board passed a motion at its regular meeting Wednesday to direct staff to look into a bus route that would be an extension of an existing route.

School board chairman Steve Rae said the district recently received two letters from concerned parents and decided to fast-track a response because of possible budget implications.

Trustee Tania Brzovic said at a school consolidation working group meeting Monday, a parent questioned when the district was going to be reviewing bus routes.

“There’s real, real concern from parents that the walk is just too difficult and with the congestion, people are going to end up driving their children…” Brzovic said. “We just really need to know what our options would be for a bus.”

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Trustee Scott Kimler’s motion for staff to investigate cost and ridership for a potential bus route to “piggyback” off another route in the area carried unanimously.

“This isn’t a show of support or not support, this is about us investigating costs,” said trustee Stephanie Higginson. “All the questions about whether it’s the right thing to do or not and how safe or not, all those types of things can be had once we get a staff recommendation on the issue.”

Superintendent John Blain said he expected the subject will be discussed at the next school district business committee meeting April 11.



editor@nanaimobulletin.com

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