A Ceduna Area School bus service has been cancelled leaving rural families questioning how to get their children to school next year

A father forced to decide between his farm and his daughter’s education says decisions like halting a rural school bus service are “why small towns die”. 

The cancellation of a rural school bus service has left a father facing an ultimatum, forced to choose between his daughter’s education or his family’s hundred year old farm.

Brendan Kloeden, a 43-year-old wheat farmer who lives 25km north of Ceduna, recently received a letter from his daughter’s school announcing the end of the Chinta bus route.

His ten year old daughter Saphire is among 15 students who catch the bus to Ceduna Area School each day, which is currently undergoing a $4m upgrade.

Saphire, 10 relies on the Chinta bus service to get to school each day. Picture: Supplied

Without the bus service, Mr Kloeden said multiple families who live rurally would face difficult decisions.

“If this bus gets cancelled, I’ll have to sell my farm,” Mr Kloeden said.

Parents received a letter signed by Ceduna Area School principal Andrew Gravestocks saying the Department of Education had made the decision.

“The Minister’s Delegate has approved the removal of the Chinta bus route as of the beginning of the 2022 school year,” the letter read.

“The Transport section of the Department has re-iterated that they understand that bus routes are flexible and that if more families, with eligible bus travellers, arise north of Ceduna routes can be reviewed again.”

Mr Gravestocks refused to comment further on the matter.

According to the department’s school transport policy at least 10 school aged passengers are required to maintain the service.

However, more than 10 students is “usually required” to justify the cost of operating the bus service.

Parents received a letter from Ceduna Area School principal informing them the Chinta bus service was cancelled for 2022. Picture: Brendan Kloeden

A department spokesperson said the cancellation was a result of “low uptake” of the service.

“In this instance, the payment of a travelling allowance is a more appropriate means of providing transport, rather than providing a bus service,” the spokesperson said.

“The decision was made by the department in consultation with the principal, education director, governing council and parents as necessary.”

Mr Kloedan said around 15 parents met with Mr Gravestock on multiple occasions to address their concerns but were told the decision had already been made.

Seven parents have since addressed their concerns in letters to Flinders MP Peter Treloar.

“We came up with a perfectly good (alternative) bus route, that would place 16-18 kids on the bus each day and they rejected it – won’t tell us why,” Mr Kloedan said.

“We’ve done everything we can, they’re virtually stonewalling us.

“Things like this are making small towns die.”

Parents have been offered a $20 daily fuel budget to accommodate for the cancelled service, but for Mr Kloedan, his next and only option is to pack up, sell and move his family to Adelaide.

When the letter was posted publicly to Facebook, one user said it was cuts like this that force rural residents to seek alternative options like boarding school.