Peace Wapiti Public School Division logo. Photo Credit: Peace Wapiti Public School Division Facebook

By Shane Clausing

Peace Wapiti Public School Division

Peace Wapiti Public School Division announces temporary layoffs to bus drivers, EA’s and Support Staff retained

Apr 7, 2020 | 8:20 PM

The Peace Wapiti Public School Division (PWPSD) has re-worked their operations following Alberta Education’s announcement on March 28 that as part of the province’s response to COVID-19, nearly $128 million was being moved from education funding to its new response budget.

As a result, the Transportation Grant was reduced by 51 per cent. That has led the school division to temporarily need to layoff 103 permanent school bus drivers.

PWPSD Superintendent Bob Stewart said they were left with little choice on the matter.

“The total reduction in grant funding resulted in $1.5 million dollars and resulted in Peace Wapiti having to lay off 103 bus drivers, who on a daily basis drove our kids safely to and from school each day.”

“In addition to that, having classes cancelled also impacts seven cafeteria workers throughout the school division as the funds to pay these individuals came directly from the cafeteria sales. So without kids, we’re not having any sales.”

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Stewarts adds that prior to this decision, some schools in the division had enlisted bus drivers to deliver course packages to familys who had limited access to technology so students working at home could get the learning materials needed.

However, that was stopped on April 2 as a result of the grant reduction.

The Base Instructional Grant was also reduced by 14 per cent, and there were expected to be layoffs for Educational Assistants (EA’s) and other Support Staff.

However, because other budgets are currently frozen because there is no school, EA’s and Support Staff were able to stay employed.

“We were able to reduce expenditures in a variety of areas, one being supplies. We are no longer replacing the paper, pencils, art and science supplies from mid-March to June, so we took a look at those savings as well as other departments such as plant operations. For example, water consumption will decrease significantly, we’ll take that cost savings and apply it towards our support staff to keep them working.”

Stewart says that by not cutting Support Staff or EA’s they’re able to continue to have councilors, an elder at Horse Lake First Nation and rehabilitation professionals available to students who need them.

The PWPSD says that the current direction from Alberta Education indicates that reductions to the two grants will be reinstated once in-person classes resume

“The health and wellness of our staff, students and their families remains our number one priority, not only through this ordeal, but every day,” adds Stewart. “It will be a good day when we can bring our valued bus drivers back to work, when in-school classes can reopen, and when we can all put COVID-19 behind us.”