District ready for new school year

The Vernon School District says it’s had a good response from families paying their bus registration fees and picking up the bus passes.

The District has implemented a $25 annual ridership fee for the first time.

While some parents question the new cost when they already pay taxes for schools, the District says many parents have said they believe the fee is a fair practice for all bus riders.

Courtesy riders have to pay the registration fee, plus a courtesy rider fee of $175, which is one hundred dollars less than last year.

“We understand not all riders require morning and afternoon busing, so we have a number of fee structures set up to address the various scenarios. For families wondering what these options are, we
invite them to visit the transportation section of our website<' said Maritza Reilly, School District 22 Media & Communications.

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Reilly said they thank the families who have paid their fees online, through ParentConnect.

“This appears to be a convenient method for many of our families. Payments are also accepted at the Board office.”

For any families struggling with any of the busing fees, they are encouraged them to submit a Financial Assistance Form to the District for review.

With classes resuming today, officials expects enrolment in School District 22 to be up, but won’t know for sure until the final numbers are known by the end of September.

“If required, we will be adding new divisions to the schools,” said Reilly.

The District’s Human Resources team has been busy over the summer with recruiting.

“We’ve experienced a lot of movement within the district, which is great because this allows our current staff the opportunity to grow in new positions within the district. We have also recruited, and continue to recruit, a number of well-experienced teachers, with 5-10 years of experience, from all over B.C. and Western Canada,” Reilly told Vernon Matters.