Province Points to ‘Record Funding’ for School Transport; Tells Boards to Get Back to the Table
Minister Calandra's office says boards should return to negotiations. The consortium says talks have carried on all week. Neither mentions Friday's deadline.
The Ontario government and the body that negotiates Grey-Bruce school bus contracts have both responded to questions from the Owen Sound Current, three days before the deadline operators set for a deal.
The two statements describe the state of talks differently.
The province says the parties should return to negotiations
“Our government has provided both boards with additional resources and record funding, and we expect the boards and consortium to get back to the table with operators and reach a fiscally responsible agreement,” Emma Testani, press secretary to Education Minister Paul Calandra, said in a statement.
“Students and families need certainty, and everyone involved should be focused on reaching a deal that keeps transportation safe and reliable for students.”
The response came from the minister’s office in reply to questions the Current submitted to Paul Vickers, the Progressive Conservative member for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound.
The Current put seven questions to Vickers on Monday, including whether he had raised the impasse with Calandra, whether the province would intervene before Friday, whether he considers the funding formula adequate for a rural riding with long routes, what families should do if Friday passes without a deal, and how many constituents had contacted his office.
He was also asked about Renfrew County, where the ministry added $2.2 million in 2024 after a comparable impasse left students without buses for more than a month, and where boards later compensated families.
Vickers’ office had not responded by publication. The statement from the minister’s office does not address any of the seven questions.
Bluewater is projected $22 Million for transportation this year, up 10.7%
The funding figures are on the record. Ministry projections released May 8 give Bluewater $21,974,573 for student transportation in 2026-27, up 10.7%, and Bruce-Grey Catholic $8,148,607, up 10%. The provincial total rose 4.7%. Both boards are projected to receive more than double the province-wide increase.
Two caveats the Current has previously reported still apply. The allocation funds the entire transportation system, including vans, taxis, transit and consortium administration, not only payments to bus companies.
And because the formula funds vehicles and route time rather than students, a larger allocation can reflect more funded routes rather than a higher rate per bus.
A 10.7% increase for one year; operators cite 25 to 30% over five
The two figures in circulation cover different periods and measure different things.
The province’s increase compares Bluewater’s projected 2026-27 transportation allocation to last year’s. It is a one-year change in what the ministry gives the board for the whole transportation system.
School Bus Ontario’s figures describe operators’ own costs over the life of the expiring contracts, from 2021 to 2026. The association says Grey-Bruce operators raised driver wages 25 to 30% across that period against a total provincial funding increase of 17.5%, and that a new school bus now costs $185,000, up from $110,000 in 2020.
A larger allocation this year and a gap against five years of operator cost growth are separate measurements.
Whichever is the better guide to what happens on September 8 depends on two numbers neither side has released: what the consortium last offered, and what operators are asking.
The consortium says talks have continued this week
“Talks are ongoing between all parties, and have continued this week, and we believe there is a path to secure reliable transportation for this school year at the negotiating table,” the Student Transportation Service Consortium of Grey Bruce said in a statement issued on behalf of itself, Bluewater District School Board and Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board.
The consortium said Monday’s notice to families was issued so families would know bus service may not be available for all students at the start of the year. It said it is exploring plans to reduce the impact if a contract is not completed, and that this work continues. It did not describe those plans.
The statement said the consortium would keep working with the Ministry of Education and the bus operators to reach a deal.
It declined to discuss terms: “We don’t believe it’s appropriate or our place to share negotiating details as we work through this process, out of respect for all involved.”
One question answered
The consortium said the Edulog parent portal change is not related to the contract negotiations. Bluewater stopped assigning bus routes automatically on August 7, and the Current had asked whether the two were connected.
Families who need a bus in September still have to opt in through the portal. Students who do not register will not be assigned a seat even if service runs.
What is still unanswered
Neither statement mentions the August 21 deadline. Neither says what the boards have offered operators or what operators are seeking. Those two figures are the only ones that would show whether the province's increase covers the cost increases operators describe. Both sides have declined to provide them.
The Current has asked School Bus Ontario for figures on how far operators’ costs have risen since the last bargaining period, and for the association's response to the province’s statement.
Classes resume September 8.
Related:
