Status: Open
Ministry responsible: Education

Overview

The Student Transportation Task Force will address issues facing student transportation services, with the goal to get students to school as safely and efficiently as possible.

Student transportation was identified as an item needing further review during meetings with school authorities and charter schools in preparation for Budget 2020.

Mandate

The Student Transportation Task Force will provide options and recommendations to improve transportation for students attending public, separate, Francophone and charter schools, considering:

  • cost
  • eligibility
  • safety
  • school board and industry responsibilities
  • co-operation between partners
  • various service delivery models
  • services for students with disabilities

The task force will provide its recommendations to the Minister of Education this fall.

Members

The MLA led task force consists of representatives from the student transportation industry and education and community partners.

Representatives from government:

  • Nathan Neudorf, chair, MLA, Lethbridge-East
  • Tracy Allard, MLA, Grande Prairie
  • Michaela Glasgo, MLA, Brooks-Medicine Hat
  • Nate Horner, MLA, Drumheller-Stettler
  • Matt Jones, MLA, Calgary-South East

Representatives from key education and community partners:

  • Josée Devaney, secretary-treasurer, Conseil Scolaire Centre-Nord (Fédération des Conseils Scolaires Francophone de l'Alberta representative)
  • Dexter Durfey, secretary-treasurer, Palliser School Division (Association of School Business Officials of Alberta representative)
  • Trisha Estabrooks, board chair, Edmonton Public School Board (Alberta School Boards Association representative)
  • Brenda Gibson, manager, Transportation Services, Calgary Board of Education (College of Alberta School Superintendents representative)
  • Chris Gilmour, Superintendent of Connect Charter School, The Association of Alberta Public Charter Schools
  • Andrew Knack, councillor, City of Edmonton (Alberta Urban Municipalities Association Representative)
  • Jody McKinnon, manager, Transportation, Calgary Roman Catholic Separate School Division (Student Transportation Association of Alberta representative)
  • Kathy Rooyakkers, District 3 director, Pembina River (Rural Municipalities of Alberta
  • Jacquie Surgenor, director from Sherwood Park (Alberta School Councils’ Association representative)

Representatives from student transportation industry partners:

  • Yacine Belhadj, area manager for Alberta, Calgary (First Student Inc.)
  • Mark Critch, president, Fort McMurray (Sparksman Transportation)
  • Brian Hauptman, general manager, Student Transportation, Edmonton (Golden Arrow Motor Coaches)
  • Jonathan Weal, regional director for Southern Alberta and director of business development, Southland Transportation Calgary (Pacific Western Transportation)

Members have agreed to participate in the task force during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the importance of the work, and will meet virtually until further notice.

Contact

For further information, please email edc.studenttranstaskforce@gov.ab.ca.

Terms of reference