Portland Principals Praise Rural School Bus Programme

Two principals in Portland are hailing the National Rural School Bus Programme for its positive impact on student punctuality and attendance.

On the second day of the 2026/27 academic year, Tuesday (September 8), JIS News visited Buff Bay High School and Buff Bay Primary School in Portland Western, where students from various rural and remote communities are enrolled.

Buff Bay High School Principal, Kevin Brown, expressed gratitude for the initiative.

“We are seeing where it is impacting our school in a positive way. At the moment, we are trying to get more students on the buses, and they are enthused about it,” he told JIS News.

The institution is located just minutes from the town centre of Buff Bay and serves students from communities as far as the Buff Bay Valley, a scenic 20-mile corridor stretching from the Blue Mountains to the coastal town.

Mr. Brown said that prior to the Rural School Bus Programme, students from the area faced challenges getting taxis to take them to school.

“With the buses, it is a lot easier for the kids to get into Buff Bay, and once you are in Buff Bay, it is pretty simple and easy for them to get to school,” he told JIS News.

Over at Buff Bay Primary School, Principal Jacqueline Edwards, said the buses operating under the programme have been accommodating the school’s transportation needs well.

“We find that attendance and punctuality have improved since these buses are en route to school,” she informed.

On Monday (September 7), the National Rural School Bus Programme was rolled out in St. Thomas, where it was announced that 99 buses would be deployed across 86 routes to provide transportation for students attending 126 schools.

Commenting on the addition of buses to the national fleet, Ms. Edwards said, “I believe that it’s a good initiative.

“Because we have some rural areas where students are challenged, I believe that adding more buses to the fleet will mitigate that problem for those children living in rural areas,” she told JIS News.

A flagship initiative of the Ministry of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications, the National Rural School Bus Programme was designed to provide safe, reliable, and affordable transportation for students living in rural communities.