Many Calgary parents will have to grapple with increasing school bus fees in the upcoming school year.
In the Calgary Board of Education’s 2026-27 budget — approved on May 26 — families of students taking the school bus will have to pay more for transportation.
Families of kindergarten students have to pay $70 more for a one-way trip, from $180 to $250 per year per student. For those in Grades 1 to 9, an additional $140 brings the total to $500 per year per student.
“We don’t have a dedicated school in this community or closer by, which is like almost 14 kilometres from here. Even though I don’t want to opt for the school bus still, it is like a mandate now,” Calgary father Praveen Pula told CityNews.
Pula lives in Calgary’s south end. His son, who’s in Grade 3, is one of several thousand students who take the school bus every day.
“Considering transport, I feel like it is not a luxury for the kids; it is a basic necessity for the school. It’s a bridge between the school and the kids, right? So, I feel like it should not be considered as a luxurious thing for the kids,” Pula said.
CBE says it recognizes this is a significant increase, though it adds fees are reviewed annually based on funding received, the number of riders, and the cost of delivering the service.
“CBE Transportation has been operating with a transportation reserve for the last several years that has been used to supplement fees. This reserve will be almost entirely exhausted by the end of this school year. Additionally, the overall cost of providing this service has increased,” the statement reads.
Education advocates say the province should provide more funding to make education affordable and accessible for all.
“This fee increase will have a significant impact on what is already an affordability crunch for families,” said Wing Li, the communications director for Support Our Students Alberta.
“We want to see the government step in to cover not just the additional gas prices or what have you, but also the continuous deficits within education itself. Transportation is definitely part of that package.”
According to the budget report, the CBE will receive more than $1.61 billion in provincial funding for the 2026-27 school year, which is an increase of $137 million over last year. The CBE budget increased to $1.884 billion from $1.674 billion, over 90 per cent of which comes from provincial government funding.
It also notes that a 2020 board of trustees motion says transportation expenses must be covered by “provincial transportation funding and user fees alone.”
“Operational reserves or funding from other grants cannot be used to support transportation,” the budget report reads. “In keeping with this motion, transportation services levels must align with funding provided while keeping fees reasonable.”
It also says school jurisdictions are no longer prohibited from charging student transportation fees for resident students who require specialized transportation.
“To be compliant with Operational Expectations OE-3: Instructional Program and the increased costs associated with implementing the new legislated transportation service levels, and considering (Alberta Education Childcare) funding, transportation fees must increase to remain balanced,” it says.
While Alberta’s Ministry of Education and Childcare says the government is investing $458 million through the provincial 2026 budget to help students get to and from school, it says school boards ultimately make these decisions. It only asks they explain and share the fees and costs with families.
“School boards are responsible for setting transportation fees, and they are accountable to parents for the decisions they make. Importantly, boards cannot charge more than the cost of providing the service, as fees are limited to recovering those expenses,” a statement reads.
“We expect school boards to be transparent with families about these decisions and to clearly explain how fees are determined.”
CBE says that families unable to afford the fees can apply for a waiver. It also points to 22 new school projects in development, saying that as they are completed, more students will be able to attend school closer to home.