WA schools say changes to bus services threaten their future

Woodbury Boston Primary School is an independent school between Albany and Denmark. (Supplied: Jenny Feast)

WA's Public Transport Authority mistakenly granted students transport assistance at six regional schools.

A review found they were actually ineligible for the assistance.

A school principal says the review could ultimately lead the school to shut its doors.

A cut to support for transport given to students in regional Western Australia is hurting enrolments, principals say, with one school warning the change could ultimately lead to its closure.

Students at the six affected schools in the South West and Great Southern region had enjoyed support from the Public Transport Authority's (PTA) transport assistance policy, which gives them access to an orange school bus or a transport allowance.

After a review, the PTA has since deemed some students at the schools ineligible for the support, but said it would maintain the policy until they finished their schooling.

The Public Transport Authority says students at some regional schools have been incorrectly granted transport assistance. (Supplied: School Bus Services)

"However, new students attending these schools residing within designated Public Transport Areas will no longer be considered eligible," a spokesperson said.

The students would be able to access bus services as "complimentary passengers" if there was capacity and time available on routes, the spokesperson added.

To be eligible for the transport support, students must meet criteria including attending their nearest appropriate government or non-government school.

Woodbury Boston Primary School is one of the schools affected.

Located between Albany and Denmark, about 438 kilometres south of Perth, the primary school offers small class sizes and nature-based education for families seeking an alternative to mainstream schooling.

Woodbury Boston Primary School is one of the six schools affected by the review. (Supplied: Jenny Feast)

Almost 90 per cent of its students rely on public transport and the school estimates two-thirds would not be eligible for the bus after the review.

"A lot of the kids who come to our school have been to other nearby schools and it hasn't worked out for them," school principal Nick Lynch said.

"They've either found it very stressful or anxious about the way the school met their needs."

Mr Lynch said the PTA's changes meant he would likely have to close the school once the current cohort moved up to high school.

The college offers an emphasis on pathways into sports and trades.

Principal Rocky Collins sa