Prince George, B.C. – The Prince George School Board has once again made its case for adequate funding.

Vice-chair Tim Bennett reported on the board’s presentation to the provincial government’s Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services in October at last night’s monthly board meeting.

“During the 10-minute presentation we provided Committee members with information on School District No. 57 and identified three complex challenges faced by the Board of Education,” said Bennett.

“Those challenges are the rural and urban nature of the school district, the need for the government to provide predictable and sustainable funding, and the Board’s concerns for students and families in poverty.”

Under each challenge, he offered the following recommendations:

• “Regarding the rural and urban nature of this school district we recommended that the government ensure that processes are in place to provide equitable access to quality public education in all rural and remote communities.”
• “Regarding predictable and sustainable funding we recommended that the government return to the practice of a single annual funding announcement in the spring to allow Boards of Education to know with certainty their funding for the next school year. We also recommended that wage increases for all staff be fully funded.”
• “Regarding students and families in poverty we called on the government to adopt and fund a comprehensive and accountable provincial poverty reduction strategy, noting that such a strategy, facilitated across the Ministries of Education, Health, and Children and Family Development will most certainly improve student achievement.”

Bennett said his presentation was well received and said he’s looking forwards to the Select Standing Committee’s report which is due by December.