Aviator

Teachers are on strike in BC right now (probably for the kids). Not providing lunchtime supervision, so the kids can go outside and take their chances during recess. The height of responsibility and caring. The school district is short of funds, so now charged for busing, there is enough cash for a $10,000 end of year party for staff though. School parking lots are jammed up with more parents driving kids rather than paying bus fees, not not mention the extra pollution. Buses drop kids all over the place now, making the routes shorter and the kids have to walk a mile or more to their house. I thought govt. were encouraging people to get the bus, school bus fees have just put more on the road.

snowcandy

School photos are optional in Alberta too! However, airbrushing is an attractive option to a 17 year girl

This is our first year here so like most people having just moved to a new country, budgeting for extra expenses, like school fees, cost of sending birthday parcels back to the UK etc will get easier the second time around.

Almost Canadian

Which, IMO, is nuts. One should know whether a school is available without busing prior to purchasing a house. Without having to pay for both, those that use the bus are being subsidized by those that don't.

iaink

Seems odd to me that anyone pays anything for either busing or supervision, to me both seem to be predictable expected expenses of running a school and should be covered by the main budget.

Of course, from my own "further out of town" perspective, all those living a bit out of the city are subsidising all those in the city to some extent with our taxes as we pay the same tax rate but dont have the same level of access to city provided services that those in town probably use more, so it ends up a wash anyway if those close enough to not need the bus pay something towards those that do use the bus...

Tangram

Wow really ? Here living out of town halved my tax bill which was part of the attraction.

dbd33

I too paid almost no taxes for almost no services in the country. I suspect Iain's problem is that he's neither in nor out.

iaink

The "City of Quinte West" (city? really?) is complex tax wise, split into 4 areas... My area covers a lot of ground from just outside the city limits to 20km out of town... So, they charge us less for city based services, more for snow clearance, and more for policing, although I dont remember the last time I actually saw a cruiser out here. From where I am it seems we pay over the odds for what the city actually provides. For example, the nearest city playground is 10km away...

I'm just bitter and twisted, dont mind me

iaink

Bingo...


tongues will wag now eh

ireland2canada

I am certain that, as a kid, we were not supervised during breaks in the playground. Do teachers really stand aroud and watch as kids eat their sandwiches and chase each other? And parents pay them for it?

Airbrushing school photos? That's the saddest thing I've heard in a while. How awful.

jimf

Which is somewhat dodgy - effectively the bus users are being subsidised by the rest. I know some whose children go home for lunch so they don't pay the lunch supervision.

el_richo

Because driving your kid to school is free of course

I don't understand that mentality to be honest.

Almost Canadian

I am not disagreeing with you. The lunchroom supervision fees were a shock to us when we first arrived.

But, if you accept that they are a valid charge, then to excuse those that are bussed from having to pay them is a little wonky if you ask me.

One assumes it is known when one chooses to live in an area whether there is a school that one's child does not need to be bussed to. Therefore, the parents have either accepted that bussing will be required or have chosen to send their little one to a different school which will require a trip on a bus. Therefore, one chooses to pay for the bus and should also have to pay for the lunchtime supervision that all others have to pay for.

The counter argument is that, if bussing is not required, the child can go home for lunch, thereby avoiding the fees, an option, it is argued, that is not available to those that require bussing. I believe that this is a somewhat weak argument.

el_richo

Am i the only one who finds that disturbing


Edit: I see i'm not alone.

Atlantic Xpat

I am similarly minded. I pay $2600 or so in property taxes a year. The area I live in had no water and sewer. Aside from garbage collection, the only municipal service I regular benefit from is snowclearing.

Almost Canadian

It would appear so. My daughter has just started Grade 7. She doesn't have to pay such fees anymore even though she is in the same school. I guess the powers that be believe they will not fight with one another, eat their food properly, and will not freeze to death by being left outside at her age. I would think the exact opposite would apply, but I guess I am stupid.

As I said above, there is a suggestion that such fees are not legal anyway. It will be interesting to see how that pans out

I completely agree with you.