The Vancouver School Board held its regularly scheduled public meeting on the evening of Monday, February 26, 2024.   

Watch the recording or view the agenda of the meeting.  

The Board received reports from the meetings of the policy and governance committee and financial and personnel committee held earlier in February.

Superintendent’s update 

Superintendent McGregor shared an update with the Board, including her regular recognition of people who contribute to students in school communities. This month, Soheila Ansari was celebrated for her work as a Settlement Worker in Schools (SWIS) for VSB since 2008. Maggie Milne Martens, co-founder of the AIRS program and current Artistic Director was also honoured. The superintendent’s update also noted activities in the District related to Black History Month, Lunar New Year, the trades program, the transition fair for students with diverse abilities, the youth empowerment fair, the basketball city finals and the honour band performance. Through the report, the Board was also updated about staff learning that took place in February; from literacy days to the employee wellness fair. Superintendent McGregor also announced that Lord Tennyson Elementary School is now LEED Gold certified, meeting Canada’s highest building performance standards. Lastly, Superintendent McGregor highlighted the District’s podcast, VSB: After the Bell, featuring topics about equity and anti-racism, as well as cellphones in school. 

Student trustee report 

Student trustee, Mia Liu provided information to the Board about the upcoming Sister School Switch, which allows students to exchange high schools for the day. This year the theme is reaching beyond boundaries. Student trustee Liu then spoke about the District’s student leadership grant, where many applications were received, highlighting the demand for monetary support to turn ideas into reality. The Board also heard about VDSC’s own student engagement as it relates to the budget process. From a student survey, VDSC saw that bathroom and sanitary products were prioritized first, with staffing second, and enhanced Wi-Fi and electronics as a third priority.  

Board Business

The Board considered two matters arising, one from the policy and governance committee and another from the finance and personnel committee.

First up, the Board considered approving changes to Board Policy 3 – Role of the Trustee and Board Policy 4 – Trustee Code of Conduct. After discussion, the Board approved a motion to postpone considering approval of the two policies until the next Board meeting.

The approval of the amended annual budget 2023/2024 was also on the meeting agenda at the recommendation of the finance and personnel committee. The amended budget bylaw was given two readings at this meeting and the third reading and adoption of the bylaw will be considered at the February 28, 2024 Board meeting. 

Under new business, the Board approved the 2024-2025 trustee appointments to external committees, organizations and agencies, and trustee school liaisons. The Henry Hudson Elementary school electrical distribution right-of-way bylaw 2024 was also approved.

The Board then considered one notice of motion relating to child care capital. After thorough discussions, the following motion was unanimously approved by the Board that:

1. The Board continues its advocacy for enhanced child care services in Vancouver, recognizing the important role these services play in our community. 

2. The Board and staff continue to collaborate with the City of Vancouver on the creation of child care spaces in Vancouver. 

3. The staff is directed to continue their work on implementing increased quality child care on school grounds and, where possible, identify school board locations of possible child care sites. 

4. The staff is directed to continue to apply for child care capital funding to address the gap in child care spaces in Vancouver, including possibility of prefab (modular) child care buildings. 

5. The staff are directed to report back to the Board twice a year through the facilities planning committee, providing updates on the progress of these initiatives, the first being in March 2024.  

Question Period  
At each regular public meeting, the Board provides an opportunity to members of the community to submit questions regarding Board business and agenda items. The submission form is open from 12:00 p.m. the day of Board meeting and closes after the Board receives committee reports during its meeting. This month, three question was received. Topics included graduation rates, supports for students to return to school and childcare. The Chair responded to all three questions at the meeting. 

Keep up to date with the District’s committee and Board meetings; see the calendar for meeting dates, agendas and livestream links. All recordings of meetings are housed on the District’s YouTube channel. Minutes of committee and Board meetings are also posted online.