Arts York parents are challenging the York Region District School Board’s process for deciding to eliminate busing to the specialized arts school.

In April, Arts York parents and students received a letter from the board’s director of education telling them yellow school buses will no longer transport students from across the region to the regional arts program as of September, an effort by the board to create regionwide transportation equity.

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Students outside the high school’s catchment area were bused to the Unionville school, but must use public transit come September.

Parents of students affected by the change formed the Justice for Arts York Students group to advocate for transportation services students have received for years.

“We feel the legal process should be the last resort and, in this situation, it is our last resort,” parent and legal spokesperson Jacques Amelard said.

Students held protests at the school using silence to represent the lack of voice they had during the decision-making process. And parents began a letter-writing campaign to the board and trustees.

A delegation was also made during a board meeting, which was followed by another protest involving parents and students.

Now the group has hired a lawyer.

“The courts have the power to review the process of organizations like the school board,” Mr. Amelard said.

“The board can make decisions which are bad and unpopular, but they are not allowed to make a decision in a bad way.”

The group believes the decision was made without properly consulting affected families, without considering all alternatives and not following board policies on communication, consulting and transportation, he said.

“It was done in a hasty way,” he added. “It is unfair in law because the board took into account the extraneous circumstances and disregarded the relevant.”

However, the school board feels the process was in compliance with its policy, according to spokesperson Ross Virgo.

Trustees came to a decision based on consulting parents throughout the region and other boards that have made the same decision.

“Other high school students find their way to school everyday without busing,” he said. “Transportation is always a difficult and challenging issue.”

The board prides itself on offering quality arts programs region-wide, Mr. Virgo said, adding those who believe they will have trouble with the commute can consider schools with regional arts programs closer to their homes, including Huron Heights Secondary School for northern students and Westmount Collegiate Institute in the south.