Board Chairperson Patti Bacchus and Superintendent Steve Cardwell attended and presented a brief to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services today. The brief included five key areas of concern for the Vancouver School Board and likely for most school districts across the province.  

1. Stable, predictable and adequate provincial funding
2. Funding for all negotiated or provincially mandated cost increases
3. Review and increase to the grants for students with special needs
4. Increased funding for maintenance and upgrades of aging facilities
5. Effective plan to end child poverty and ensure affordable quality child care

In addition to the five areas described in the brief (see below for more details), the following three areas were raised:

1. Share and learn from each other with regard to the annual program audits
2. Strategic investment in technological infrastructure
3. Paperless environment to reduce costs and ensure a more sustainable environment

For more information on the budget consultation process, please visit www.leg.bc.ca/budgetconsultations

The Vancouver School Board brief to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services can be downloaded here.