(Nicole Reis/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Nicole Reis

School Bus Routes

Dorintosh School bus options discussed

Feb 13, 2020 | 5:01 PM

Northwest School Division will provide bus transportation to Dorintosh School students outside the village for the 2020-2021 school year. The school is slated to close due to low enrolment, in June.

Duane Hauk, director of education told meadowlakeNOW the school board decided to run a bus for seven students from Rapid View to Green Acres School.

“The presentation I provided outlined what the bus routes could potentially look like and the idea of it is illustrating pick up zones but the decision is dependent on the board,” he said.

Hauk’s presentation offered three bussing scenarios which outlined time and distance options students could spend making their way to and from school.

The first scenario suggested two separate buses running from Rapid View and one to Meadow Lake. The Rapid View bus travels approximately 78 km with a 40-minute bus ride. The bus is intended to serve seven students heading from Dorintosh to Rapid View. The bus from Dorintosh to Meadow Lake is approximately 140 km with 17 stops and a run time of one hour and 45 minutes.

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Hauk said the time spent on school buses could be shorter depending on how many high school students elect to drive to school.

The second scenario suggested one bus from Dorintosh to Rapid View with a transfer and one bus from Dorintosh to Meadow Lake with a transfer.

With this scenario, Hauk said the bus ride would have 11 pickups and last 70 minutes.

The Meadow Lake bus includes 10 home pickups at a travel time of one hour and 45 minutes which slightly shortens the route. Hauk said the transfer option would shorten the route to Meadow Lake though could increase time spent travelling.

The third scenario offers both buses travelling to Meadow Lake for a total 80-minute travel time. In this option, there would be no bus to Rapid View.

“We asked the students who are attending Dorintosh School whether they would like to attend school at Green Acres in Rapid View or attend in school in Meadow Lake,” Hauk said.

Seven students have opted to attend Green Acres, therefore the additional nine kilometers present a minimal cost difference to the board.

“The premise of the bus decision had to be first, on the board allowing students to go to Green Acres and that we would provide transportation. From there, it’s really the work our transportation supervisor does to determine best routes as she does for the 100 plus bus routes we have in the school division,” Hauk said.

The route decision will require the board’s approval at the next school board meeting.

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722