By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
A “dramatic shift” in fuel prices prompted the Prairie Spirit School Division (PSSD) trustees to approve an increase to the division travel rate from 58 cents per kilometre to 73 cents per kilometre during their October 19 board meeting.
As per the motion, the rate increase will come into effect on November 1, 2026.
As noted in the PSSD Schedule of Compensation and Expense Allowance, the travel rate is reviewed twice a year following the publishing of the Public Service Commission rates.
The amount must be altered if the differential between the Public Service Commission rate and the PSSD travel rate is greater or lesser than 5%.
Bob Bayles, Deputy Director of Business Services for PSSD, said the rationale for reviewing the travel rate twice a year is that it “smooths things out so you’re not just moving up a couple steps or down a couple steps…which has been beneficial in the past.”
Administration’s recommendation was to increase the travel rate from 58 cents to 73 cents, as staff are incurring increased vehicle operation costs due to rising fuel prices.
He acknowledged this would be a higher jump in the travel rate than previous increases, “but if you drive, you know (there’s been) probably the largest jump in gasoline and certainly diesel as well.”
When asked by a trustee if the increase in the travel rate had been factored in the PSSD budget, Bayles said no, but added that administration was “comfortable with this increase.”
There was little further discussion about the travel rate increase, a fact acknowledged by board chair Kate Kading in her comments.
“If this only affected the people at this board table, I think it’d be a far more robust discussion about what we want to do,” she said. “But we do have to bear in mind that this affects a broad range of our staff.”
Kading also indicated there has been discussion in the past around reviewing the division travel rate once or twice a year, with pros and cons to each approach.
She noted that with a once-per-year approach, if the Public Service Commission rates dramatically shift, then they are effectively stuck at the same rate all year with no opportunity to adjust.