The Rocky View School Board held three meetings with parents and stakeholders last week to go along with their online surveys asking people to help them come up with a solution to a $1 million deficit in the school transportation budget.  

RVS Superintendent Greg Luterbach said meetings were held last Monday in Airdrie, Tuesday in Cochrane and Thursday in Chestermere to field questions and hear comments from parents, staff and community members.  He said between 35 and 45 people showed up at each meeting.

Luterbach thinks most of the people who attended the meetings had already filled out the online survey that RVS has offered and were simply looking for more information.  

The online survey closed on Friday and Luterbach says they've had over 2,000 responses.  The survey offered eight potential options for transportation cost savings and also had a spot for respondents to provide their own ideas.  Luterbach was pleased that over 1,000 people took the opportunity to do that.

Luterbach thinks people are beginning to realize that there is no easy solution to the problem. 

"No matter what options the board picks if it's any of the eight options there or other ideas that come up.  I think people are really understanding that it's a tough situation that the school division is in and people are also understanding that something is going to have to happen.  What that something is, I think people have shared different thoughts and opinions on which option they would prefer or hybrids of these."

Luterbach said the next step is to have a second round of surveys go out in early March. 

"The Transportation Committee and the board will look at the feedback gathered in the surveys received and come up with bundles of various options to get the division to the $1 million in savings needed to balance the transportation deficit." 

Once those surveys are returned, the board will decide on the way forward and provide direction to staff at their April 12th meeting.

Board Chair Todd Brand explained that the $1 million deficit came about as a result of under funding from the Provincial government, the impact of the carbon tax, and the fact the division will not get sufficient money through the new Transportation Fee Replacement Grant. 

 

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