Cheaper or free transit could help get Winnipeg kids to school, says principal

As the temperature continues to drop, Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute is starting to hand out bus tokens.

The high school spends more than $18,000 a year on Winnipeg Transit fares for students who live more than two kilometres away.

"A lot of our kids face issues based in poverty," said principal Lorne Belmore. "The best way out of poverty or the only true way out of poverty is education, so we do whatever we can to find the money in order to support them coming to school."

• Low-income bus passes would cost Winnipeg $6M to $15M a year

Belmoresaid there is no transportation budget for high school students, so he pulls money from leftover budgets and relies on donations to subsidize transit costs.

He hopes a proposed low-income bus pass will become a reality in the city's budget.

On Tuesday, the city's public works committee will consider whetherthe city should look at slashing amonthlyadult fare in half to $50.05.A reduced fare for youth isn't on the table just yet.

"It would be amazing to see the price to drop to zero or to be more reasonably priced currently transporting at $5 a day there and back," saidBelmore.

The Winnipeg School Division set aside $309,000from its budget this year to buy tokens for low-income students and special programs, according toRadeanCarter, the division's senior information officer.

Carter said the tickets are used for a variety of reasons, including teaching students with special needs how to use the bus, getting students to dental appointments at the University of Manitobaand at a teacher's discretion to ensure attendance.

Pulling funds for different operational budgets to buy single-use tokens to help low-income students get to class is common practice in schools across divisions.

The Louis Riel School Division also has a $18,000 transportation budget to assist students. However, this includes students with extra needs, other students, as well as those requiring transportation supports due to low income.

Pembina Trails spent $23,784 in the 2017-18 school year on Winnipeg Transit reduced fare tokens and the reloading of Peggo cards.

Seven Oaks School Division said its transportation budget lastyear was $31,000, plus extras pulled from school budgets.

Superintendent Brian O'Leary said for him, the most compelling reason for lower student and youth fares would be to develop the habit of riding transit among young people in order to develop ridership for the future.

Long, cold walk

MariaKanangaand her brother are two students who receive tokens for the entire school year. They came to Canada as refugees from Malawi two years ago. They began high school at Daniel McIntyre for the English Additional Language program but had to move when their family got into Manitoba Housing fivekilometresaway.

"If I walk, it probably takes me one hour and 20 minutes ... a long time," said the 17-year-old.

BelmoresaidKanangaand her brother were permitted to stay registered, despite being outside thecatchmentarea, because of their involvement in the EAL program.

Kananga, who is the oldest of seven kids, said her parents can't afford to buy her a monthly bus pass, which is $70.10 for a student. Without the school's help, it would cost her parents $1,400 a year to send her and her 15-year-old brother to Daniel McIntyre.

"I am so happy because they are helping my parents," she said. "I want to be a doctor, that's my future goal."

Belmore said for many of his students, even Winnipeg Transit's discounted youth rate is out of reach.

A youth pass, for ages 6-16, costs $2.45 cash, $1.82 per ticket, $18.20 weekly and $70.10 monthly.

High school students ages 17 to 21 also qualify for the youth rate with a valid student GoCard, which must be issued by Transit.

"Fifty dollars [a month] is a good start, it would make our budgets go further too, and any reduction," said Belmore."Any help to those who need it most would be greatly appreciated and would help those individuals move on with their lives and get what they're truly desiring."

Belmore said there are already 25 students on the wait list for tokens for the winter months, but he said there isn't enough spare change in the budget to get them on the bus.

Helping students get to school

6 years ago

Duration 2:17

Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute spends more than $18,000 a year on Winnipeg Transit fares for students who live more than two kilometres away.