糖心Swag

By Rhonda Kershaw, Trustee

April 6, 2022

This month the Board of Education presents its draft budget, and budget process and priorities for the upcoming school year. The budget priorities are informed by the 2022-2027 District Strategic Plan, which is currently under development.

Since September 2021, we have consulted with over 1250 students, parents, staff, and partner associations, especially the Aboriginal Education Council. Four values emerged: connections/relationships, wellbeing, sustainability, and equity. These values are enacted through our collective commitment to the Seven Grandfather Teachings: Courage, Love, Wisdom, Humility, Respect, Truth, and Honesty.  Every department co-articulated how they will live these values through our mission: Supporting learning opportunities and environments which inspire students to thrive.  Our Five District Priorities tell “how” students will thrive academically, socially, emotionally, personally, and culturally within a fair, responsible, and sustainable resource allocation system.

An estimated $207 Million, the 2022-23 Annual Budget is comprised of three different funds: Operating, Special Purpose, and Capital.

Operating Funds are approximately 84% of our overall annual budget and are dedicated to staffing, programming, supports, and services enabling students to meet or exceed literacy and numeracy expectations, to transition grade-to-grade on time, and develop competencies to achieve their life goals through career programming. Operating funds also enable sought-after programming such as the RCMP Youth Academy. These experiences exemplify how we support learning opportunities and environments for students to thrive.

Capital Funds comprise approximately 6% of our overall annual budget and support facility upgrades, childcare spaces, purchasing portable classroom space, furniture, information technologies, and buses. Our community and region have seen exceptional growth which has put unacceptable pressure on a number of neighbourhood schools.  With enrolment numbers climbing by the equivalent of a medium?- sized elementary school each year, we maximize space in existing facilities, which has required 13 school catchment area changes since April 2021 and the re-opening two schools in five years.

What our district most needs are capital funds for new schools and childcares.

We have applied for Capital Funds to support childcare at two schools. While applications take time and are competitive, we hope to serve our youngest learners and families to connect to our schools early, to develop relationships, and to experience a sense of welcoming, caring, and belonging that nurtures their trust in our school system and personal growth through excellence in early learning programming.

We will continue to work with the Ministry of Education to increase Capital Funds for these pressing needs. 

Special Purpose Funds are 10% of our overall annual budget and are targeted by the Ministry to their intended purpose such as CommunityLINK (e.g., food security), Classroom Enhancement Fund (Teachers), Support Staff Learning Improvement Fund (Certified Education Assistants), Early Learning (e.g., Seamless Day), Mental Health, and School Generated Funds (school activities, fundraisers). These targeted funds provide much-needed services and should ideally be part of operating funds.

Please review the 2022-2023 Draft Annual Budget at sd73.bc.ca and offer your feedback at budgetfeedback@sd73.bc.ca by April 19, 2022.

This column appeared in Kamloops This Week: View from 糖心Swag on April 6, 2022