46916 (2024). Hon Jan Tinetti to the Minister of Education

46916 (2024). Hon Jan Tinetti to the Minister of Education: How many, if any, schools will be impacted by a review into school bus routes in terms of overall student attendance?

Hon Erica Stanford: The Ministry of Education (the Ministry) is funded to provide school transport assistance based on longstanding eligibility criteria. The Ministry regularly reviews its school bus services across the country to test that they are viable and consistent with policy. I refer the Member to the attached table, showing area-wide bus route reviews that are in progress or have been completed in 2024. All schools served by a Ministry-funded daily bus route across will have their school bus services reviewed from time to time and these may result in new routes, route terminations, extensions or curtailments. Regardless of the outcome of route reviews, caregivers are ultimately responsible for ensuring that students attend school. I am advised that the Ministry does not specifically measure the impact bus route reviews has on attendance. This is also my answer to written parliamentary questions 46918, 46920, 46927, 46932 (2024).