The post on Tuesday claiming the service would be cut in July prompted many parents to contact Queenstown Primary School, the district and regional councils, and elected representatives.
It prompted school principal Fiona Cavanagh to email parents on Thursday to inform them the information was wrong, and the Ministry of Education’s review of school bus services in Queenstown was still under way.
Ministry school transport group manager James Meffan told the Otago Daily Times last August changes arising from the review would be "clearly communicated in advance" so parents could make alternative arrangements for their children’s transport.
Mr Meffan confirmed yesterday the review was ongoing and "no final decisions have been made".
"We generally give at least one term’s notice of changes."
The ministry gave the Queenstown Lakes District Council and Otago Regional Council notice of the review in 2021, saying some children using ministry-funded school buses were ineligible, either because there was an Orbus option, or because they were not attending their closest state or state-integrated school.
Queenstown Lakes acting Mayor Quentin Smith issued a media statement this week saying he was disappointed the review was happening, but the process was in "the early stages of a proposal".
The council had lobbied the ORC and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi about the issue for several years, and as recently as last week had reminded the regional council it wanted to be involved in any decision on school bus routes, Mr Smith said.
“We note that no final decision has yet been made, and hope there remains scope for the council to be involved in that process on behalf of our community.”
ORC chairwoman Gretchen Robertson said yesterday she appreciated the frustration and uncertainty parents would be feeling , but the regional council was "not the decision maker".
School bus services were separate to the public transport network it operated, Ms Robertson said.
It would try to fill gaps in routes and timetables for school children caused by any cancellations of school bus services in Queenstown, but the "constrained co-funding environment" meant it would not be able to fully replace them.
