Prairie Rose’s new buses and own routes in operation as year begins

Posted on September 19, 2024 by Ryan Dahlman

By Anna Smith
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Prairie Rose Public Schools had eyes on the far side of the long weekend as staff and students prepared for the first day of school.

This is one of the most exciting times of the year, said superintendent Reagan Weeks, and they look forward to seeing everyone’s smiling faces.

One of the biggest changes for the division is they will be managing several of their own bus routes, a first for Prairie Rose.

“We have historically contracted out our transportation, but we have purchased 46 buses to manage 38 bus routes,” said Weeks. “So we have some spare buses to help us cover off maintenance or if any of them aren’t working as they should. It’s a new venture for us, and many rural divisions in the province operate their own transportation system, but it’s new for Prairie Rose.”

The new transportation system has been an effort for the whole division, but the team is excited and grateful for all of the hard work from their new director of transportation.

Also high on the list is the final fine-tuning of the new cellphone policies, as officials work to find a system that works for parents, staff and students within the magisterial order’s parameters. Most of the PRPS schools already had processes in place that limited cellphone usage, but this has formalized it.

Over the first month of school, the division will gather feedback to create a policy that best meets the division’s needs.

“The ministerial order does provide a solid guideline for us and we feel we’ll be in a good position to start the year with the new processes in place,” said Weeks.

The 2024-2025 school year marks the final year of the “Ignite Minds, Forge Futures, Kindle Hearts” strategic plan, and while it has served them very well, they are excited to begin work on a new plan to even better serve students.

Other than that, said Weeks, parents and students can expect the same dedicated staff and education Prairie Rose is known for, with record-high enrolment welcoming even more through their doors.

“Prairie Rose has always had a staff that has gone above and beyond to serve their students and we think families can look forward to having that same level of service and commitment to creating learning environments in which students thrive,” said Weeks. “And so that’s what we’re the most excited about.”