Flinders Shire Council has launched a new free bus service to support Hughenden students to attend school.
The bus service, which is a collaboration with Hughenden State School, will collect students across the town every Monday morning and transport them to school.
Mayor, Jane McNamara said Council was initially approached by Hughenden State School Principal, Jeremy Callaghan, to support the initiative to encourage higher student participation.
“When the Principal approached the Council with this idea, we were happy to support it,” said Mayor McNamara.
“We understand that attending school is critical to a future child’s development, and it is important to provide assistance to encourage students to attend and participate in learning.
“Providing this service on a Monday morning encourages school attendance throughout the week.
“We are proud to support Hughenden State School to provide this valuable service to our community.
“It is an exciting initiative which we hope will make a real difference to local families,” she said.
The free bus service also complements Hughenden State School’s existing breakfast program, ensuring that students have access to nourishing food before starting their day.
Mr Callaghan said that the school was delighted to partner with Council on the bus initiative.
“This service is designed to provide a more level playing field for students of all backgrounds,” he said.
“We know that some students face barriers to attending school, and we hope that this program will help remove some of those barriers and make it easier for our students to access the education they deserve.”
Council representatives meet with all four local school principals on a quarterly basis to discuss issues, initiatives, and ideas around the betterment of school attendance and community collaboration.
“We are excited to work with our local schools to provide the best possible opportunities for our young people,” added Mayor McNamara.
