Revealed Oct 03, 2024 • Final up to date Oct 03, 2024 • 3 minute learn
Photograph by Eric Healey /QMI Company
Article content material
Transportation disruptions proceed for over 10,000 college students together with their households, and faculty communities throughout Renfrew County after discussions between college bus firms, the transportation consortium, and management from the 2 college boards ended with out an settlement, regardless of two revised affords with greater charges.
This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues beneath.
Article content material
Article content material
Advisable Movies
Article content material
Renfrew County Joint Transportation Consortium (RCJTC), together with the administrators of training for the Renfrew County District College Board (RCDSB) and the Renfrew County Catholic District College Board (RCCDSB) met Wednesday with a bunch representing college bus firms.
The representatives for the college bus firms maintained the place {that a} multi-year contract beginning with a 20 per cent improve in yr one with a complete improve of 35 per cent over 5 years is the one supply they’d settle for.
In response to the RCJTC this is similar place the college bus firms have maintained since August 30 and would end in $8.8 million {dollars} over the 5 years being transferred from different areas of the college boards’ budgets to transportation, impacting companies to college students.
This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues beneath.
Article content material
“This is hugely disappointing,” stated Justin Jeffrey, common supervisor of RCJTC. “We’ve been working with both the school boards and the Ministry of Education to identify any possible solution to help close the gap between funding and contract rate expectations and get service running for students. The bus companies have indicated they are not willing to budge.”
Mark Allan, a spokesman for the native college bus operators has acknowledged all through the dispute that the operators have confronted 30 per cent to 70 per cent will increase in prices to maintain buses working safely however Ontario’s Ministry of Schooling has refused to deal with these inflationary prices and isn’t offering adequate funds to high school boards to cowl transportation. Allan has stated new buses are actually 71 per cent costlier; bus elements, tires, and brakes are up 50 per cent; driver wages have elevated 38 per cent; and insurance coverage prices are up 30 per cent.
This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues beneath.
Article content material
In an RCJTC press launch issued on the night of Sept. 2, the consortium stated it together with the RCDSB and RCCDSB have labored with the Ministry of Schooling to seek out extra flexibility inside their current budgets by transferring {dollars} from training funding to transportation.
The consortium stated the most recent supply made to the bus operators was an 18 per cent improve in yr one plus two per cent per yr for the remaining 4 years that means a complete 26 per cent over 5 years.
The consortium acknowledged this newest supply would require over $4 million over the 5 years to be transferred from different areas of the college boards’ budgets to transportation and, “…would see school bus companies in Renfrew County holding one of the richest contracts in the province.”
This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues beneath.
Article content material
“We know how hard this situation has been on families across the county and we have been coming back to the table to find a solution that would work. At the same time, we haven’t been provided with any concrete financial data to justify the massive increase the operators are demanding from the school boards,” stated Jeffrey. “The school boards can’t be expected to keep pulling money out of classrooms.”
On the night of October 2, roughly 200 mother and father, group members, and training staff from throughout Renfrew County, together with NDP MPP and Opposition Schooling Critic, Chandra Pasma, took half in a digital assembly to share frustration concerning the ongoing scholar bussing dispute in Renfrew County.
Through the assembly, considerations have been raised that the training funding points affecting transportation being skilled at the moment in Renfrew County will occur in different areas of the province.
This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues beneath.
Article content material
“The continued impact of cuts to education funding have forced boards of education to make choices about what services to slash to meet the ongoing underfunding in public education,” stated Karen Littlewood, Ontario Secondary Colleges Academics’ Federation president. “More than 40 per cent of school boards are reporting budget deficits, even after already reducing the services and programs available to students.”
RCJTC stated it continues to discover choices and stays open to assembly with college bus firms on a person foundation. The current Request for Service {Qualifications} (RFSQ) to establish various college bus firms will even be up to date to mirror the monetary particulars of the most recent contract supply.
adixon
Article content material
Share this text in your social community
