Regina public, Catholic schools to share school buses

Regina’s public and Catholic schools are coming together, at least for busing.

In a news release, the two school boards announced they will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) concerning the transportation of students in Regina. The announcement was formally made at the school board meetings earlier this week.

Currently, the two school boards have different policies and transportation services for kindergarten to Grade 8 students, each funded in part by the Ministry of Education.

But the school divisions said budget cuts means the two boards have seen “significantly reduced funding” and that sharing transportation services makes “both practical and economic sense”, especially as new joint-use schools open this September.

“We share many services and interests with Regina Catholic Schools,” said Greg Enion, director of education for Regina Public Schools, in a news release.

“We are interested in the probable savings that can be realized in exploring opportunities that exist in looking at sharing transportation services where it makes fiscal sense,” added Domenic Scuglia, director of education for the Catholic system. “This will be the beginning of other discussions where we can find more operational efficiencies through potential shared practices or services.”

The school boards said the MOU will form the basis as to how the two school divisions will move kindergarten to Grade 8 students in the future.

More information will be provided by the school divisions once the MOU is complete.