By Cheryl Jahn

Area School Districts Talk Funding Models

Apr 24, 2018 | 2:49 PM

Representatives from six Northern BC school districts were in the city today, meeting with members of a provincially-mandated panel looking at the educational funding model.
In a discussion paper released by the Province last month, it realizes the challenges of rural and remote education.

“Approximately 32 percent of students in BC’s public K-12 system attend schools located outside of the main urban centres of Greater Victoria, the Lower Mainland and Kelowna areas. There are approximately 140 communities with only one school.”

Funding for districts is based on the student population. There is a base rate, which is adjusted in rural and remote districts with things like the Rural Education Enhancement Fund and the Student Transportation Fund.

However, the discussion paper has some harsh words about that as well.

“Currently, funding is not directly linked to furthering student success, but rather, is largely based on inputs (number of students reported by school districts in specific categories). This approach leads to more time and resources reported being spent on counting and assessing students, as opposed to delivering educational services and driving student outcomes.”

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The representatives who came away from today’s meeting say they feel good about what they heard.

“It’s got a panel of professionals from across the province who are here, really, with the interests of trying to find something that is good for kids all across the province,” says Eugene Marks, Superintendent of District 91, Nechako Lakes. “They have a huge task ahead of them, but they’re good listeners and they’re reflecting back very good questions that demonstrate they have a good grasp of the issues.”

Many rural and remote districts cite teachers and specialist recruitment as some of the bigger issues facing them.

The panel will be reporting out to the Ministry of Education in July.