By Staff
December 12th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Trustees of the Halton District School Board (HDSB) encourage the Burlington community to add their voices to ask the City of Burlington to support free municipal transit for high school students. The City is currently in budget talks, which includes a process of prioritizing such initiatives.
High school students might get an upgrade to the traditional orange school bus to a nice new electric bus. Not this year – but soon if the four boards and the city can work out an understanding.
Halton District School Board Trustees will be delegating Burlington City Council on Monday, Dec. 16, 2019 in favour of continuing talks to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for all Burlington high school students to ride municipal transit free of charge beginning September 2020.
HDSB Chair Andrea Grebenc.
HDSB vice chair Tracey Ehl Harrison
Earlier in the year the HDSB re-elected Andrea Grebenc as chair and Tracy Ehil Harris as vice chair – this is the third term for each woman.
This item will be on the Council agenda on Monday, Dec. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at Burlington City Hall.
Currently, school boards pay for student municipal transit passes for specific high school students who commute to specialized programs offered at schools other than their home school. One of the possible Halton District School Board commitments under the MOU could be to maintain the current level of financial contribution to help offset the costs to the City.
The school board trustees are asking people to consider attending the December 16 meeting to support the Trustee delegation, delegating yourself or sending in a letter of support.
The city has allocated $42,500 to cover the cost and is looking to the other school boards to chip in.
Burlington City Council is trying hard to get electric buses into the fleet, add to the size of the fleet and install EV chargers for the buses – they come in at $1 million each.
“Free” Transit means Tax-Payer pays.
Analyzing the comment above “Currently, school boards pay for student municipal transit passes … ” School Boards receive their funds from the taxes we pay to the provincial and regional government. Does anyone really think there will there be a resultant reduction in provincial and regional taxes or a return to the taxpayer and a reduction of the school boards’ funding?