OPINION

School Trustees left to choose which children in BC will be left behind

Once again, we are in the thick of the annual public school budget cycle in BC. During the next few months, as is outlined in the BC School Act, School Boards across the province will need to draft annual budgets for their Districts that balance, take into account the growing or declining enrollment and growth in their communities, meet the needs of their contractual obligations as employers, and address the needs of every individual student in BC. An impossible task.

The BC Budget announced earlier this month was woefully inadequate when it comes to investing in public education. With a mere $300 million increase in operating funds and a capital investment of less than $5 billion dollars, this government has clearly reneged on nearly all of their election promises that they intended to deliver for schools and families. As a result, School Boards in every community in BC are left with the task of delivering a service plan that can’t possibly be achieved with the money allotted to them. In addition to providing meaningful instruction and inclusion, schools have been increasingly asked to connect children and their families to mental health programs, food security initiatives, and affordability safeguards that are out of reach for most Districts. A CEA in every primary classroom? Not likely given that there are no increases in staffing resources for Districts. In fact, we aren’t even giving schools enough resources to cover sick days for staff. The ballooning inflationary pressures are cutting into programming for children.

Families around the Province are calling on British Columbians to demand more robust Educational funding. The use of portables, the cutting of alternative education programs and spaces, the delays in building schools in fast-growing cities all contribute to a school district budget that cuts out the most vulnerable children from public school. Rallies in Surrey, New Westminster and other cities are not making change for students. Indigenous students, students with disabilities, students new to our country, and students who are in the care of the Ministry of Children and Families are all identified as having low school completion rates. Districts are asked to track how these students do compared to peers yet receive little to no resources to increase success rates for vulnerable populations. Yet, a School Board can not present a budget to the Province that does not match the funding projected. And the projections are bleak. The BC School Trustee Association estimates an investment of $9 billion is required from the Province to fund adequate school builds across the Province. The 2025 Budget announced less than $5 billion in funding, and much of that has already been completed. Until new schools are built, Boards are forced to pay for additional portables, transportation, and accommodations through their operational budgets. Less money for kids in classrooms.

And nothing they can do about it. The system is broken.

The fiduciary and legislative arm of Education has passed the buck to School Boards and the system is on the brink of collapse. This will force students with support needs out of the public system and more youth into the care of the Ministry of Children and Families. As School Boards across the Province begin to consult with families about educational priorities, we urge everyone to also write to the Premiere and the Minister Beare to express concern about the funding model for school districts, the reliance on specialty funds to meet the needs of children with disabilities, and the pressure placed on local school boards to cut out very necessary staff, supplies, and programs to meet the funding they’ve been given. This is no way to treat our children.

Bonnie McBride
Chair SD73 District Parent Advisory Council

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