By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
The Prairie Spirit School Division (PSSD) has been forced to cancel a $250 fee that would have been charged this fall to students accessing bus transportation to the high schools in Warman and Martensville, as it cannot charge fees for student transportation under provincial legislation.
On May 21, the PSSD posted to its Facebook page regarding the changes to student transportation services in Warman and Martensville for the 2025-2026 school year.
The post was accompanied by a letter sent out to all families in Warman and Martensville. It explained that PSSD does not receive funding for high school transportation within the two cities, and this $250 fee (which works out to $25 per month for 10 months) would help cover the cost of continuing this service for families.
It should be stressed that this change only applies to students living more than 1.5 kilometres away from their high school, as students who live closer cannot access transportation services.
The letter also indicated that all urban students requesting transportation in Warman and Martensville would have to re-register for transportation services, and could only register for transportation to and from one location only.
A follow-up post on May 26 stated PSSD had since received clarification from the Ministry of Education that school divisions may not charge fees for student transportation under the Education Act.
“We apologize for this error and the concern it may have caused,” the post states. “We appreciate your understanding as we update our plans.”
PSSD communication manager Brenda Erickson said the division will continue to fund transportation in Warman and Martensville through its general operating budget.
However, Prairie Spirit will be exploring other options for adjustment to urban transportation as this is still “an unfunded cost for the division,” she said.