N.L. government drops 1.6-km distance requirement for taking bus to school | CBC News

The government of Newfoundland and Labrador is phasing out its controversial 1.6-kilometre requirement for kids who take the bus to school. 

In an announcement on Monday, Premier Andrew Furey said that process begins in the upcoming school year. As it stands, students who live closer than 1.6 kilometres to their school aren’t eligible to take the bus. 

“We’ve heard for years that that 1.6-kilometre rule was a problem. It was a problem for kids getting to school and coming home from school,” Furey told reporters.

“We recognize the importance of that safe travel to ensure that children have access to the education systems.” 

The changes begin in September in about 50 per cent of the province’s schools where current buses have the available space. The end goal is to have the rule in place for remaining 50 per cent, where busing exists, in the 2024-2025 school year.

There is no longer a distance requirement for any student, Furey said. 

Out of the gate, an additional 4,000 students through 124 schools who were not previously eligible for a ride will have access to buses. That includes both in Newfoundland and in Labrador. 

Furey said that initial crop doesn’t come with an added price tag since the capacity already exists. The remaining schools, which aren’t a part of the first phase of the plan, will need some extra money.

“Next year it will be part of the budget allocation process,” he said.

Surprised by timing

Both Furey and Education Minister Krista Lynn Howell said dropping the distance requirement has been a priority for the Liberal government.

However, Conservative MHA Barry Petten is taking the credit for his party.

“It’s an issue that I, along with my colleagues in the party, have fought for for years,” Petten told CBC News Monday.

“It’s [been] in our blue book policy since 2019. It’s something that has been a long battle, a long road to get here. So I’m happy that they’re finally doing it.”

And the timing of the announcement is surprising, Petten said, pointing to the spring sitting of the legislature when then education minister John Haggie said there would be no changes to the policy at the time.

“This decision should have happened years ago. [It’s] better late than never,” Petten said.

NDP Leader Jim Dinn pointed to other flaws in the education system. 

“This is low-hanging fruit. Maybe it’s designed to distract us from the whole issue around Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s building of a new school,” Dinn said.

“We’ve got serious issues there that have been identified in the NLESD’s report and by the NLTA about staff shortages and the impact that’s having on education.”

Dinn said the bus plan could cost about $30 million. 

He questions whether or not there will be enough buses when the plan is fully implemented or if that problem will fall to the schools themselves.

“I always love these announcements but it’s often left to the school level to implement,” Dinn said.

“The school administrators, teachers, are the ones struggling at the ground level putting this in place. I don’t know what supports they’re putting in place.” 

Meanwhile, the province has the end of the year as its target for full integration of the school district into government, as recommended by the Greene Report in 2021 to rein in government spending.

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