Prince George, B.C.- Two of three applications for funding presented to School District 57 have received support.

 

Before the Board were requests for :

 

·        $30 thousand dollars for the development of Restorative Practices Circle Room at the new Carney Hill Aboriginal Choice School. 

 

·        $15 thousand for consulting assistance to inventory existing community services and identify possible new services that could be offered at the Giscome, Hixon and Nukko Lake Schools.  The Regional District is considering purchasing the schools in order to turn them into community service centres which would still offer education, but the maintenance of, and use of the buildings would become  a responsibility of the local taxpayers.

 

·        $12 thousand for a complete audit of the condition of the Dunster School for the Regional District   so the Regional District can see what that school may be best suited for.

 

School District 57 Trustee Roxanne Ricard was clearly not in favour of spending any money on consultants, saying that may be the practice of other levels of governing bodies, but she is of the mind that School District dollars, especially during very trying financial times, should be used for educational purposes.    Chair Lyn Hall felt the expertise to determine the condition of the Dunster school already exists within the School District Staff and he was not supportive of that request for funding. Trustee Lois Boone was in favour of the dollars for the  Giscome-Hixon- Nukko Lake review, saying Giscome is a priority.

 

After much discussion, the bottom line saw the School Board support some, but not all of the requests.

 

The Carney Hill School request was trimmed back to $20 thousand as the Board says much of the millwork and construction can be done in house.

The Regional District request for $15 thousand was trimmed back to $10,000.

The Regional District Request for an audit on the Dunster School was denied.

 

The funding is available through the Union of B.C. Municipalities “School Community Connections” which is supported by the provincial government and the BC School Trustees Association.