General News
12 March, 2025
Families overwhelmingly in support of school bus route
Mount Isa parents say the school bus would be well used, according to a survey.
Alyce Rosenthal says the prospect of a school bus run in Mount Isa has become a popular topic among the parents waiting to collect their children outside the school gate this semester.
The mum of three said many parents have been keen to show their support since Mount Isa Educational Precinct and the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) called on locals to complete an online survey to gauge community sentiment for a possible bus service.
With two of her children enrolled at Spinifex State College Junior Campus and another at St Jospeh’s Catholic School, Alyce was among the 483 families who recently completed the online survey, which found that more than 96 per cent of respondents would use a new bus run if it were introduced to the city.
The survey also found that about 80 per cent of respondents believed their family would use a bus service every school day.
Alyce said most parents would like an alternative transport option for state school students.
“I think it is long overdue in Mount Isa,” she said.
“I know a lot of the other families I speak to think the same way – we are a city and people have jobs and have to juggle things around.
“If there was the option of having your kids join a bus run then I think it would be well used.”
Alyce has lived in Mount Isa for almost two decades and all her children were raised in the Outback city.
Originally employed as a nurse at Mount Isa Hospital, Alyce moved away from shift work and into an administration role to give herself more flexibility on the home front.
Her husband works in a sales role that demands he spends about 80 per cent of his working week outside the city.
Alyce said she often moved her lunch break to coincide with the end of school to ensure she was able to slip away and take her kids home.
She said she preferred her children didn’t walk home, especially in the hotter months of the year, but occasionally had to make a last-minute decision when work became too busy.
“It is about a 45-minute walk from the school to our home,” she said.
“I also think there are safety concerns – there are always cars being stolen and you don’t want one of your kids walking along the streets if there are those kinds of cars on the loose.
“A bus service would be a much better and safer option.”
Educational Precinct coordinator Chris Pocock said he was pleased with the number of survey respondents and the results would be forwarded to TMR to aid in further investigations.
“The results were spot on to what we were expecting,” he told North West Weekly.
“Some of those respondents might have several children at schools in the city, so it is a really good snapshot of the community sentiment.”