New West Schools splits $700K of provincial funding into three categories

For the full recap of Tuesday evening’s school board meeting, take a look at this Twitter thread.

New Westminster Schools will be splitting the one-time Student and Family Affordability fund into three categories. In August, the BC government explained that the fund’s goal was to help districts ensure students are fed and have the school supplies needed for this year. The province also cited concerns over rising costs and global inflation.

During its school board meeting on Tuesday, the group detailed how the money would be spent in a layered approach.

The first category would include funding for all families, valued at about $220,000. This money would go towards covering some or all of the cost of school supply fees, covering any annual activities, or the cost of experts who give school presentations; those costs are typically passed on to parents. The funds could also be used to cover field trips for the year.

The aforementioned category would require allocation from the district, with the application being determined and administered at a school-based level.

The second category is funding for some families, valued at $325,000. This funding would cover nutrition-related expenses, with the district noting in its report it is expecting “additional subsidies for our lunch program due to a higher level of participation this year.”

The cash will also be used to help purchase shelf-stable items, along with breakfast and snack options for schools needing them.

The final category is funding for individual families, with $153,000 earmarked. Applications for this will be figured out and administered at a school-based level.

There were some concerns around how the stats to determine use of the funds were being collected: trustee Anita Ansari wanted to know how those who weren’t in a position to reach out to certain groups—like District Parent Advisory Councils—would be able to benefit from these funds. Ansari's examples includes newcomers to Canada and people who might be new to New West. In response, secretary treasurer Bettina Ketcham said there are always “eyes and ears” within the community, ready and willing to offer support.

Supt. Karim Hachlaf added that supplemental information is also provided through the welcome centre. 

What else happened at the school board meeting? 

DPAC comments on Queen’s death and school closure

During presentations, District and Parent Advisory Council’s Cyrus Sy made a comment about the closure of schools in New Westminster, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Sy noted that the Monday, Sept. 19 closure could have been better handled, especially since the day of mourning for the Queen was just 11 days before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which the district is also observing.

Fraser River Elementary School concept

We heard about some early ideas regarding the concept, as well an update about funding.

During the meeting, the district said it was looking at creating a campus style build for Fraser River Elementary School. Additionally, an “urban design” is being considered, though the meaning of “urban design” is still being refined. The goal would be to build the school adjacent to Simcoe Park, so that students can use the green space in the park for outdoor activities.

There’s also been an ask for an increase in capacity: initially the goal was to build a school that had room for 500 students; the request has been upped to 600. Secretary-treasurer Ketcham said the increase would help with the growth the school district has experienced—while also considering future projections.

New West Anchor previously reported that Qayqayt had to redirect 24 students who applied to the school this year, because there wasn’t enough room. The same report outlined how the district was looking at implementing a randomized draw for student placements.

There’s still no funding for the school, and secretary-treasurer Ketcham noted the district was hopeful there would be some funding next year.

Queensborough land purchase

There’s also been a purchase of two pieces of land, close to Queensborough Middle School and Queen Elizabeth Elementary School. Secretary-treasurer Ketcham explained that while there wouldn’t be immediate action for these two purchases, the point was to “future-proof” them so that when the time comes, the district could use them.

Counselling and course selection issues

At the meeting Trustee Danielle Connelly asked about delays to course selection at New West Secondary; Connelly says she’s heard from some parents whose children are struggling to get into courses.

In response, Supt. Hachlaf said they were working to fix the issue as quickly as possible, because the issue came out of some late counselling changes and departures that were unexpected.

Assistant Supt. Maryam Naser also apologized for some of the frustrations, adding that staff were looking ahead to semester two to ensure delays like this didn’t happen again.

Some featured art

During his presentation, Supt. Hachlaf talked about some of the artwork students, parents and staff can find in the district. Hachlaf highlighted a piece by a student named Derek; this art is currently on display at Ecole Glenbrook Middle School

The next school board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 25.