Students from two Moose Jaw high schools will be able to travel out of province in the coming months for their extracurricular activities.
A.E. Peacock Collegiate’s grade 10 to 12 jazz band plans to travel to Canmore, Alta., from Nov. 1 to 3 to take part in a music festival. The group’s anticipated budget is $4,500, with all funds to come from fundraising initiatives. If students don’t fundraise, they will have to pay $300 out of pocket to attend.
Central Collegiate’s senior boys’ basketball team plans to travel to Brandon, Man., to participate in the Brandon Sun Spartan Invitational Basketball Tournament from Dec. 12 to 14. The team’s budget is between $800 and $1,000, which includes van rental, gas, hotel rooms and meals. Funds are expected to come from fundraising activities, player fees and other sources.
Both schools submitted requests for permission to the Prairie South School Division (PSSD) to attend their respective events. Trustees with the division approved the requests during their Oct. 1 board meeting.
Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) has put out recommendations around the use of coach buses, said Shawn Davidson, trustee for subdivision 5. He thought the PSSD board should review those recommendations and consider the safety of students who take charter buses.
“It is well documented that school buses are far safer vehicles than coach buses because they’re constructed much differently,” he said. “Coach buses are essentially a fibreglass shell sitting on a frame. A school bus is essentially an army tank painted yellow.”
It is also well documented that school buses are 73 times safer than any other vehicle on the road, Davidson added.
The next PSSD board meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 22.
