CENTREVILLE-WAREHAM-TRINITY, N.L. — Another school semester is underway, but one long-standing busing policy continues to stir controversy in central Newfoundland.
After much public pressure and pushback, in September the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development issued one courtesy stop for each bus route within a 1.6 kilometre family responsibility zone.
This resolution was brought in after parents sparked protests and calls to action when the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District (NLESD) enforced this rule preventing buses from picking up students within the 1.6 kilometre distance of their school.
While this courtesy stop has benefitted some of the Centreville area, concerned parent Gregory Cutler says it has left his children facing the same dilemma.
“It’s just as close for my kids to walk to school then it is for them to walk to the courtesy stop,” Cutler said. “This didn’t work for everybody. It’s about 1.1 kilometres for my kids to walk to school, and something like 0.9 kilometres for them to walk to the courtesy stop.”
Cutler would ultimately like to see the 1.6 kilometre family responsibility policy eliminated, particularly for the rural areas where the roads to school are often without sidewalks, traffic lights and can become blocked with heavy snow banks during the winter months.
But in the community of Norris Arm, one parent says the courtesy stops there have proven to be successful.
Because Norris Arm has two bus routes and over 80 students attending Hillview Academy, there were two courtesy stops installed in the area. Parent Karla Brown says both stops are outside the 1.6 kilometre zone, but have made things easier for students within that area.
“They allowed two courtesy stops for seven kids in our area,” she said. “We live about 1.5 kilometres from the school, so my daughter has to walk back about 0.1 kilometres to get to this courtesy stop. The other stop is at the Boys and Girls Club, and some families live only a few houses down from that.
“There are a few older kids who have to walk up the hill to get to the stop, but basically everyone is now getting picked up.”
“I still think the whole rule should be abolished. In a city it’s very different, sidewalks, public busses, daycare centres close by — all those options are not as readily available in rural Newfoundland."
-Karla Brown, parent
If there was only one bus route for Hillview Academy, Brown suspects the Boys and Girls Club would be the sole courtesy stop – and this stop alone would be more difficult for some students.
Despite the success of the Norris Arm courtesy stops, Brown holds firm that for rural communities this policy still needs to be reviewed and changed.
“I still think the whole rule should be abolished,” she said. “In a city it’s very different, sidewalks, public busses, daycare centres close by — all those options are not as readily available in rural Newfoundland.
“In the past four or five months we’ve had coyote sightings here as well, and those are all on the roads the kids have to walk to school.”
Government contention
With the sentiment for a change in policy still strong and an election soon approaching, Opposition Education Critic Dave Brazil has voiced his concern that the current Liberal government is not properly addressing the issue.
“In government, any policy that’s nearly 50 years old needs to be changed,” Brazil said in an interview with The Central Voice. “First thing we want to have is a review. We’ll look at modifying or eliminating this policy and have something more conducive for the students.
“If there needs to be additional investments, you do that for the safety of the community and the students. It’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity around safety and quality of education.”
According to Brazil, recent consultations had been held with the NLESD and school bus contractors who are open to new contracts and changes in school policy. Because of the smaller population and number of students, Brazil says for rural areas the issue may be more easily resolved by ensuring buses that can take more students do so.
But the Conception Bay East – Bell Island MHA says unless the Liberal government gets on board, no changes in this policy can come about.
“It’s been made clear to me that this is not a school district issue but a government issue. The policy in place is a government policy,” said Brazil. “If the government changed this policy tomorrow the schools could provide busing in the blink of an eye.”
“When the (Progressive Conservatives) were in power they had courtesy seating, rather than courtesy stops. Now the school district has the authority to put these stops in place. With this policy change, we have in fact taken care of many of those concerns.”
-Minister Al Hawkins
The NLESD confirmed in an emailed response that the family responsibility zone is a Department of Education and Early Childhood Development policy.
Al Hawkins, the department minister says the addition of courtesy stops in September has been an effective way of addressing parents’ concerns.
“When the (Progressive Conservatives) were in power they had courtesy seating, rather than courtesy stops,” said Hawkins. “Now the school district has the authority to put these stops in place. With this policy change, we have in fact taken care of many of those concerns.”
Because of how long the 1.6 kilometre family responsibility zone has been in place, Hawkins says the current calls for change from the Opposition are largely politically driven.
“Mr. Brazil and the Opposition have been harping on this for quite some time now,” he said. “It’s somewhat disingenuous on their part because they were in government for such a long time. Many of these similar concerns and petitions were submitted while they were in office and they did absolutely nothing about it.”
For Cutler, seeing a change in this policy for the next school year will be an important voting issue for him and other concerned parents.
“I’m happy to see the Opposition is there fighting against it and on our side now,” Cutler said. “Hopefully it’ll be a big platform this election.”
Tell us what you think!
Write us a letter to the editor and email it to [email protected]. Be sure to include a name, address and daytime telephone number where the author can be contacted. Letters should be no more than 300 words.
