Mr. VanderBurg: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Within Whitecourt-Ste. Anne Northern Gateway school division spans nearly 375 kilometres from end to end, further than the distance between Edmonton and Calgary. Each day 4,000 students in this division are transported over 12,000 kilometres. My questions are all to the Minister of Education. Pembina Hills school division receives $64 per weighted passenger more than Northern Gateway. They have fewer square kilometres, fewer weighted passengers, fewer routes, and a more compact school jurisdiction than does Northern Gateway. Mr. Minister: why the big difference?

Mr. Hancock: Well, Mr. Speaker, rural transportation funding is actually quite complex, I've discovered. School jurisdictions receive part of their transportation funding based on a density grid as well as distance funding and special transportation funding. At the heart of it is the density rate and Northern Gateway's placement on the transportation density grid. The density rate is multiplied by the jurisdiction's total number of eligible weighted passengers and eligible transported ECS students to determine their funding. Based on the fact that Pembina Hills has fewer weighted eligible passen­gers, they occupy a different spot on the grid, a higher rate, even though their division covers nearly the same area as Northern Gateway.

Mr. VanderBurg: Well, Mr. Speaker, I'll make it even easier yet. Within my own riding Grande Yellowhead received $73 more than Northern Gateway per weighted passenger but has 700 fewer square kilometres, 1,500 fewer eligible passengers, 37 fewer routes. Why the big difference?

Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, I'm given to understand that while Northern Gateway covers a greater area than Grande Yellowhead, for example, they do serve a greater number of eligible passengers and therefore are considered denser based on the density calculation, hence the difference in the result.

Mr. VanderBurg: Mr. Speaker, I could go on and on about the injustices on this issue. Will the minister just meet with my staff and board members of Northern Gateway and get this issue resolved once and for all?

Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, we have been working with the division to review its transportation service area to ensure that it accurately reflects their jurisdiction profile. I'll be more than happy, once we have that review, to sit down and work with them to ensure that they're appropriately placed and have equitable funding based on the grid.