The Calgary Board of Education has approved its budget for the 2026-2027 school year and families of students who take the bus to school are facing a big increase in fees next year.
The fees are what it takes to keep a balanced budget,” said Ward 8 and 9 trustee Susan Vudadinovic during Tuesday’s budget debate.
The CBE has been using a reserve fund to help supplement the cost of busing, but warned the fund will be drained by the end of this school year.
An estimated 27,000 students take the yellow school bus to class each day.
For the upcoming school year, parents of students in Grades 1 to 9 are looking at a $140 jump in bus fees from the current cost of $360 to $500 per rider.
Families of kindergarten students will pay $250 per rider for a one-way trip next year, up from this year’s cost of $180.
Some parents of students who attend schools run by the Calgary Board of Education will face a spike in bus fees of up to $140 per rider next year.
Global News
Education advocates decry the jump in fees as a barrier to public education.
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“At the end of the day, we’ve got families that are going to be left scrambling to access education for their kids and that is the responsibility of the government,” said Medeana Moussa of the advocacy group Support Our Students.
The CBE also helps pay for transportation costs with provincial funding that will increase by three per cent next year.
Responding to an inquiry from Global News, a spokesperson for Alberta’s Ministry of Education and Childcare emailed a statement that said the provincial government is “investing $458 million in the 2026-2027 fiscal year so 348,000 students can get to and from school every day. This funding helps cover rising costs for buses, fuel, parts, and training.”
The statement said the provincial government also “provides about $15 million to school authorities every year to offset high fuel prices.”
The Ministry adds that “school boards are responsible for setting transportation fees, and they are accountable to parents for the decisions they make.”
A statement from Alberta’s Ministry of Education and Childcare says ‘school boards are responsible for setting transportation fees, and they are accountable to parents for the decisions they make.’.
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However, the CBE claims a recent spike in fuel prices is putting a big squeeze on school board budgets.
“Our fuel costs are about 40-50 per cent higher than they were just four months ago,” said Dany Breton, CBE Supt. of Facilities and Environmental Services.
He added that an increase in the number of students taking the bus is also compounding the issue.
“We have more schools in overflow, meaning that students that could have normally walked to school are actually being bused to another school elsewhere,” Breton added.
Ahead of next year’s budget debate, the board has directed the CBE’s chief superintendent to further investigate transportation fees and “service level options.”
“Solutions for the challenge of transportation can’t just be a one-time increase,” said trustee Nancy Close.
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