by Dara Hill

Students and families in School District 58 can take advantage of a late bus service running on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning April 3.

The pilot program will support rural and First Nations students, allowing them to participate in after-school activities they may not have access to otherwise.

“One of our priorities is to make sure we address any barriers that might be in place for students, either financially or transportation-wise,” explained Steve McNiven, superintendent for School District 58.

The program will utilize three buses, servicing three different routes. Each bus will visit Merritt Central Elementary following the conclusion of after-school activities to pick up children and will then do a second pick-up at Merritt Secondary School. The buses will then go out in three separate directions to get all of the students home safely.

“There will be some flexibility on that, depending on who they actually have on that bus each day,” noted McNiven.

Years ago there was a late bus that serviced Merritt Secondary School. The revival of a similar program has been “a long time coming”, McNiven said.