Students in the Vancouver School District will benefit from $5.1 million in provincial funding for school upgrade projects and new classroom supplies, MLA Suzanne Anton announced today on behalf of Education Minister Mike Bernier.

The district will extend the life of six schools with $2.4 million in School Enhancement Program funding to install new elevators and upgrade washrooms. Every school district will receive a portion of this year’s $53-million investment, supporting 223 projects.

Under the new Student Learning Grant, the district will receive $2.6 million to purchase classroom equipment and supplies such as textbooks, lab equipment and art supplies. The district will begin back-to-school planning with parents and teachers now to determine how best to use the one-time funding to reduce costs for parents and help teachers deliver B.C.’s new curriculum. This one-time grant is providing school districts with a total of $27.4 million.

Nine schools in the district will become more energy efficient this year thanks to $135,000 for digital control system upgrades under the provincial Carbon Neutral Capital Program. These upgrades will help the schools save money. This year government is investing over $5 million to support 23 projects in 15 districts under the program.

As a result of B.C.’s strong economy and balanced budget, the Government of British Columbia is able to support record funding increases for students and B.C.’s education system. Budget 2017 commits an additional $740 million in operating funds over the next three years. Combined with $400 million in previously announced budget increases, this means an additional $1.1 billion in funding will benefit the K-12 system over the next three years. In addition, Budget 2017 supports $2 billion in capital spending to upgrade or build new schools over the next three years. 

Quotes:

Suzanne Anton, MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview –

“This type of funding allows crucial investments to be made into the educations of future generations. The learning environments at our schools and other facilities will benefit so that we can remain top-tier in education.”

Andrew Wilkinson, MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena –

“We all want to leave a better planet for our children, by decreasing our carbon footprint. Upgrades to nine of our Vancouver schools will help us do just that, saving schools money and improving our environment.”

Sam Sullivan, MLA for Vancouver-False Creek –

“We want to give B.C. students as many opportunities as possible to succeed in their studies. The $2.6 million that our government has directed to Vancouver schools will help provide our community’s students with the tools they need to stay ahead of the curve.”

Quick Facts:

• In total, government is investing $95 million under these programs to ensure students have the services, environment and tools they need to succeed. Every school district in B.C. will receive a portion of this funding.
• Including today’s announcement, government has invested a total of $153 million under the School Enhancement Program since it was launched in 2014. In total, almost 623 school improvement projects have been approved under the program.
• The Student Learning Grant provides one-time funding to help schools and teachers with the cost of classroom tools and equipment to support B.C.’s new curriculum. Of the $29.4-million grant, school districts are receiving a total of $27.4 million and independent schools are receiving $2 million.
• Each year, government spends about $5 million in Carbon Neutral Capital Program funding for school projects that cut greenhouse gas emissions.
• Each year, government provides about $10 million in School Bus Replacement Program funding to help school districts purchase new and replacement school buses to ensure students have access to safe and reliable transportation.

Learn More:

Student Learning Grant: http://ow.ly/ibEm309kJbQ

Carbon Neutral Capital Program: http://ow.ly/7rfi309kMdZ

School Capital Planning: http://ow.ly/slzM309kJwS

B.C.’s new curriculum: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/