Transportation, Public Schools

The 2018 BC Tripartite Education Agreement (BCTEA) includes commitment by BC, Canada and FNESC to an innovative approach to ensuring adequate and appropriate transportation services for First Nations students who attend public schools. BCTEA introduces new tools such as Joint Transportation Plans and the targeting of transportation funding to ensure that First Nations students receive the transportation services they need.

About the First Nation Student Transportation Fund – Schedule G of BCTEA

As per Schedule G of BCTEA, the Parties established a First Nation Student Transportation Fund (“Fund”) to address the transportation needs of First Nation Students who live on-reserve and attend BC Public Schools. Boards of Education (“Boards”) and First Nations are encouraged to work together to determine First Nation Student transportation needs (including transportation to extracurricular activities) and co-develop Joint First Nations Student Transportation Plans (“Joint Plans”). Transportation Plans are to include strategies to address various modes of transportation, such as walking, driving, bussing, ferry, or water taxi, depending on local needs. The Joint Plans should be informed by the Guiding Principles and criteria established by the BCTEA Parties.

Important Dates

The BCTEA Parties have scheduled the following (virtual) sessions to support the Joint Plan submission process and to answer any questions that may come up:

Information Sessions

  • April 18, 2024: 10:00 am – 12:00 noon PST – Annual Meeting on Transportation (AMT)
    – Presentation AMT April 18, 2024

  • April 30, 2024: 10:00am – 11:00 am PST – Transportation Joint Plan Drop-in Information session #1
    – Presentation Drop-in Session #1

  • May 23, 2024: 10:00 am – 11:00 am PST – Transportation Joint Plan Drop-in Information session #2 Register here.

NOTE: Representatives from First Nations and school districts are not expected to attend more than one information session but they are welcome to do so if they have further questions.

Submission Deadline

For the 2024/25 school year, there is a new option for Status Quo Joint Transportation Plans referred to as the Joint Transportation Plan Status Quo Letter.

  • 2024/25 Joint Transportation Plan Status Quo Letter (NEW) – coming soon!

Reporting for the 2023/24 School Year Joint Plans

Specific reporting requirements apply to the use of transportation funding. School districts may use the following documents to complete and submit their reports:

Data collected through the BCTEA Reporting Template that includes Board spending, description of transportation services and student count information is being used to understand school baseline spending on First Nation Students transportation and to inform Joint Committee decision-making related to Joint Plans.

Sharing the completed Reporting Template will demonstrate to First Nations that school districts are using available funding sources to transport First Nation Students living on reserve to public schools. Note: A First Nation’s signature on the Report confirms that the document has been shared with that First Nation.

Please submit completed reports along with the 2024/25 Joint Plans by May 31, 2024 to BCTEA@gov.bc.ca.

Development and Submission of 2024/2025 Joint First Nation Student Transportation Plans

First Nations and Boards of Education may use the following documents and templates for the development of 2023-24 Joint Plans.

For the 2024/25 school year, there is a new option for Status Quo Joint Transportation Plans referred to as the Joint Transportation Plan Status Quo Letter.  

  • 2024/25 Joint Transportation Plan Status Quo Letter (NEW) – coming soon!

School districts may submit co-signed Joint Transportation Plans by May 31, 2024 to BCTEA@gov.bc.ca.

Learn More

    • See BCTEA Schedule G – Transportation: Starting in 2018/19, Boards of Education and First Nations were encouraged to work together to determine First Nation Student Transportation Needs and co-develop Joint First Nation Student Transportation Plans. The Joint Plans are to include strategies to address various modes of transportation, such as walking, driving, busing, ferry or water taxi, depending on local needs, as well as transportation to extracurricular activities.

For questions about the Joint Plan submission requirements, First Nations may contact:

    • Christian Gonzalez, Manager, Local Education Agreements, FNESC, at christiang@fnesc.ca, and Boards of Education may contact Kristine Heaney, Project Director, Funding and Financial Accountability Branch, Ministry of Education and Child Care, at BCTEA@gov.bc.ca.
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