New Westminster school trustees would like to see B.C.’s Student and Family Affordability Fund turned into ongoing money for school districts.
The B.C. Ministry of Education announced the $60-million fund in August last year to provide extra money for school districts to help families struggling with global inflation and the rising cost of living.
The New Westminster school district received just shy of $700,000 of that money.
The district has divided that money up into three spending pots: $220,000 to offset fees for supplies, field trips and the like; $325,000 to provide subsidies for its school lunch programs and to purchase breakfast items for schools; and $153,000 to offer customized supports for vulnerable families, such as gift cards for groceries or gas.
But, because it’s one-time funding, that fund runs out effective June 30 of this year.
Now, school boards around B.C. would like to see it renewed.
The B.C. School Trustees Association will be discussing the issue at its provincial council meeting this weekend (Feb. 24 and 25).
School District 40 trustee Cheryl Sluis, New Westminster’s rep for the BCSTA, brought the issue to the New Westminster school board meeting Tuesday night.
“This is just to help make back-to-school more affordable for students and their families who are struggling,” Sluis said. “Inflation is an ongoing issue for many families. This isn't a one-time issue.”
She told fellow trustees that, unless they had any objections, she plans to vote in favour of an advocacy motion to that effect this weekend. No one objected.
If the motion passes, the BCSTA will formally request that the Ministry of Education and Child Care continue the Student and Family Affordability Fund as a targeted annual fund provided to school districts.
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