Ministry of Education 2008

The Process to Date Every 5 or 6 years Ministry Bus Routes come up for tender In March we were asked to supply numbers and addresses Multi-Serve in Auckland crunched the numbers No indication to us that the routes had changed First inkling was a passing remark by one of our drivers July we found the routes on the Internet- Board aware Rang the Ministry, Multi-Serve Wrote to the Minister, the Ministry and Multi-Server Provided alternatives, all rejected Asked for direct resourcing…no reply to date. Board decides to ask parents what direction they would like us to proceed Tonight's meeting

The Official Reason The rules haven’t changed The interpretation of policy most certainly has. The mid-point between schools has ‘moved’ Where once there was a school, which has amalgamated with us, the mid-point was the old school’s mid point. Now it is where the old school was

The New Interpretation of the Mid Point Gordonton School Taupiri Komakorau

The Current Woodlands/ Komakorau Route

The Current Piako Road Route

The Current Main Road Route

The New Route

Students who will be picked up

Students currently picked up who will miss out due to the revised route

Proposed Bus Route Issues Few students are on the route Bankier Road is very dangerous to turn Piako Road is now only serviced one way Changes made without consultation Unless we are able to change the routes through direct resourcing many students will miss out. The bus will be too small to include all students We may be forced to come up with our own bus. Money that should be directed to student learning will be used to get students to school.

Ministry School Transport Policy “To provide assistance to students who, because of the geographic location of their home or their special needs, do not have ready access to and from their nearest school.” “ Provision of school transport should be effective and efficient” How is it efficient to use cars instead of buses?

Ministry School Transport Policy “The service agent (Multi-Serve) is supposed to assess eligibility and determine what assistance eligible students will receive.” This cannot be done without consultation with affected families, but no consultation has occurred!

The Ministry did not consider Rural students do not have access to public transport Cycling of walking to school is not an option for most students Farming families often have both parents working on the farm Farmers who employ advertise their farms are on a school bus route Changing routes effects families greatly

What Action Do You Want the Board to Take?