This week the Prince George Citizen will be posting series of questions asked of the 13 candidates running as trustees for School District No. 57 (SD57).
The focus of the series is to allow voters to hear from the candidates running for school trustees on how they would handle real issues facing the school board. The candidate’s answers have only been edited for clarity, and are posted in alphabetical order.
Question: One recent issue that has come up at the start of the school year for parents is busing. Four bus routes have been partially canceled as the district’s contractor First Student is unable to fill driver positions. How would you approach addressing this issue as a trustee?
Cory Antrim
I would have to look at the contract that was signed by SD57 before I could comment further on a solution. However, I am disappointed that our district signed a contract with a non-Canadian company. I would like to know the rationale behind why an out-of-country business was chosen. So, at this point, I have more questions than answers.
Betty Bekkering
The bussing issue is certainly not what the Board or Sr. Admin wanted for the start of a new school year. First Student have been equally frustrated with a number of extenuating circumstances beyond their control. The “supply line” of buses arriving from the manufacturer was delayed....drivers were in place and several resigned before the start of school year! Issues that have been resolved to the best of the contractor and SD 57 Transportation staff. This is an operational issue and the Board needs to trust that the best approach is in place!
Gillian Burnett
Again, supply chain issues and labour shortages are not unique to the school district or First Student. This is a contractual arrangement, so until seeing the contract, I’m not sure how to answer this question. This is an eight-year contract, so I’d want to work together at solving these issues quickly and in such a way as to ensure sustainability for the foreseeable future
Craig Brennan
When first awarded a $5 million bussing contract, First Student assured us of safe, reliable and comfortable transportation for our 3500 bus students. They would deliver students to and from school using a new fleet and the latest technology. First Student has struggled to meet their obligation to SD57. Though the struggle to maintain service levels due to staffing shortages is widespread, this failure must be addressed by the contractor as it is unacceptable to leave families uncertain, scrambling and stressed. SD57 administration must work with First Student to find a solution and to develop a plan to avoid future issues.
Cathy Fortin
Again, I don’t claim to know much about the situation. I would certainly be upset if I was the parent of one of the students without a bus. If I am elected this is definitely one of the first issues to tackle as it is one of the most urgent.
Milton Mahoney
Truth is, this issue is an administration problem for SD57 and First Student (the bus company) to work out, that goes beyond simple scheduling. I know this is not the answer the public wants to hear, we all want a quick fix, but First Student is having a difficult time finding drivers just like other employers in every industry are having a difficulty finding employees. It’s a consequence of society, not the bus company.
Shar McCrory
We need to advocate for students on all levels. We need to work with district staff to ensure this does not happen in the future. First Student is a contractor who works with our transportation department. At a recent Advisory Committee, the SD57 staff reported on the current bussing issues and what they were doing to mitigate the issues. A First Student representative was in attendance
Erica McLean
As a trustee, I would first suggest we redirect this urgent issue to the top of a SD 57 staff’s portfolio. It is urgent and ideally we would be examining contracts, pay scales, neighbouring districts and securing short term solutions to get our students to school.
Bob Schroeder
We need to see the details of the contract to see what can be done legally. Is SD57 allowed to bring in another contractor to fill gaps in busing even temporarily? Is there a provision in the contract where SD57 can ask the provider to subcontract out a certain amount of the busing, even temporarily. We also want to look at how SD57 could better reorganize routes so that they are covered temporarily. We need to look at the process that took place in awarding the contract to First Student so that the same mistakes are never made again.
Martin Taylor
Offer driver training to grade 12 students and staff.
You can learn even more about the trustee candidates through the Prince George Citizen's election page.
This story will be updated when responses from Damon Robinson, Mike Rositano, and Josh Silva are received.
