Rocky View Schools Approves Transportation Fee Increase Amid Rising Costs

Families across the Rocky View Schools division, including many in Langdon and surrounding rural communities east of Chestermere, will see a modest increase in school transportation fees beginning in the 2026/27 school year.
During its May 7 board meeting, the Rocky View Schools (RVS) Board of Trustees approved a five per cent increase to student transportation fees as part of ongoing efforts to balance affordability with the rising costs of operating bus services across the large regional school division.
The approved fee structure sets the annual transportation rate for resident students at $415, while kindergarten students will continue to pay half that amount. The district will also maintain its early registration discounts, which provide a $40 reduction for Grade 1 through 12 students and a $20 reduction for kindergarten students.
However, trustees also approved the elimination of the multi-sibling discount, a move administration says is intended to improve long-term financial sustainability and create a more consistent fee structure.
Transportation fees for non-resident students will rise to $894 annually.
According to Rocky View Schools administration, increasing operational pressures continue to outpace available provincial funding for student transportation. Rising fuel prices, insurance costs, staffing expenses, contracted transportation services, and inflation have all contributed to growing financial strain on school transportation systems across Alberta.
The transportation fee review occurs annually as part of the district’s budgeting process.
“Transportation reserves are projected to remain within a fiscally responsible range,” administration noted in documents presented to trustees, adding that maintaining reserve stability is important as the district faces evolving economic pressures and continued regional growth.
The transportation discussion also included updates on several “exception routes,” which are specialized bus routes designed to allow out-of-attendance-area students to attend smaller rural schools within the division.
Rocky View Schools confirmed that transportation service from Cochrane to Westbrook School and from the Prairie Royale area to Kathryn School will continue through June 2028.
According to RVS Superintendent of Schools Ryan Reed, the Cochrane-to-Westbrook route currently transports 21 students from Cochrane to the rural school, helping maintain enrollment levels while also easing pressure on schools within the Town of Cochrane that are operating near or above capacity.
“This route is operating with 21 students from Cochrane being transferred to Westbrook School,” Reed told trustees during the meeting.
The additional operational cost for the Cochrane exception portion of the route for the 2025/26 school year was estimated at approximately $2,415.
Ward 5 Trustee and Board Chair Fiona Gilbert voiced support for continuing the route, noting the relatively low cost and broader benefits to the school system.
“So happy to support the continued operation of this,” Gilbert said during the meeting. “There’s not a big cost component, and that cost is offset by the fees paid by the kids.”
Gilbert also pointed to capacity pressures facing schools in Cochrane and the value of supporting smaller rural schools within the division.
Meanwhile, Rocky View Schools confirmed that a transportation route from Langdon to Indus School, which operated in previous years, did not run during the 2025/26 school year due to low interest levels.
However, administration indicated the route could return for the 2026/27 school year if enough families express interest and if the service can be accommodated on an existing route.
Rocky View Schools is one of Alberta’s largest school divisions geographically, serving communities surrounding Calgary including Chestermere, Langdon, Indus, Cochrane, Airdrie, Springbank, and Bragg Creek.
As suburban and rural populations continue to grow, transportation planning has become an increasingly significant issue for school divisions attempting to balance service levels, operational costs, and enrollment pressures across rapidly expanding regions.
The transportation changes approved this month are expected to take effect for the 2026/27 school year.