Prairie Rose School Division buses more than 2,000 students every day to 18 schools, travelling more than 16,600 kilometres every day. The division will also transport athletes during the Special Olympics this summer.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Ridership is up for Prairie Rose Public Schools transportation, though the division does expect to operate at a deficit.
Currently, PRPS has 2,225 students registered on 87 routes, travelling 16,673 kilometres each day. Routes transport students to 18 schools within the division, as well as three schools within the area that are not part of PRPS: Cherry Coulee Christian Academy and St. Michael’s School in Bow Island, plus Assumption School in Oyen.
Routes are also provided for Duchess School of Grasslands School Division.
“This is up from last year where we had 2,046 students registered to ride on 81 routes that travelled 15,814 kilometres per day to 22 schools,” says director of transportation Wade Lanctot.
The routes cover roughly 29,117 square kilometres in southeastern Alberta, transporting both rural students who live more than an hour away from their designated school and an increasing number of urban students who are choosing to attend PRPS schools for its unique programming.
Notable additions include four routes to cover two schools added in Calgary, adjustments to routes that head to Irvine, transport to and from Parkside School for the Southern Alberta Hockey Academy.
They have been approached by neighbouring school divisions for possible transport for field trips, but drivers are often busy prioritizing PRPS transport needs. Should it reach a place in which they could feel comfortable providing this service, it is something Lanctot would consider.
This year will also pose one major source of revenue for PRPS transport.
“You might have heard that we won the bid to be the internal bussing company for the Canada Summer Special Olympics being held here in Medicine Hat,” said Lanctot. “It’s gonna be a lot of work, but we’re excited.”
He says while this is expected to be a source of revenue, it is not expected to overcome the foreseen deficit.
Budgeted expenses will decrease from $7,629,323, the actual 2024 amount to a projected $7,475,93, citing lowered fuel prices, a decrease in the number of more expensive contracted bus routes and fewer contracted repairs.
However, there is also a significant decrease in revenue, says Lanctot, due to factors such as the removal of an exception that Prairie Rose Public Schools had been given in previous years for the classification of urban students and a reduction in funds from the Alberta Government Fuel Price Contingency Program. These factors result in roughly a $600,000 loss in revenue.
PRPS Transportation expects to operate at a deficit of $595,657.
