By Chad Klassen

Parents, students rally after School District 73 shut out of education funding

Mar 1, 2019 | 3:59 PM

KAMLOOPS — Since last week’s provincial budget that saw no education funding promised for School District 73, a parent advocacy group has been outspoken about the lack of dollars coming to Kamloops.

On Friday, Advocates for SD73 rallied outside Valleyview Secondary, the district’s No. 1 capital funding priority, to garner support and try to put more pressure on the government. 

“We’re here to let [Education Minister Rob Fleming] that this issue is very important,” said chair of the Advocates for SD73 Chris Ponti. “We are in dire need and it has to be addressed.”

About 30 parents and students showed up to the rally on a Pro-D day, including Ponti’s daughter Erin who’s in Grade 6 at Marion Schilling Elementary but is close to moving up to Valleyview, where there are nine portables with more coming. 

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“Here, I don’t really want to be in a portable the whole time,” she said. “But right now in my class [at Marion Schilling], I don’t have a locker right now. I only have hooks.”

Other students at the rally have similar worries going to Valleyview Secondary. 

“With the crowded environment, it makes for a poor learning facility for us because there are too many kids,” said Grade 6 student at Marion Schilling Paisley Cadarette. “And not all the teachers can focus in on one kid. They have to help all the kids and there are so many.”

Parents like Ponti have contemplated moving their kids to other catchment areas to avoid sending them to Valleyview Secondary. But they also know there’s overcrowding elsewhere as well.

“The problem we have with changing catchment area is the other high schools are in similar situations,” said Ponti. “There doesn’t seem to be a good option out there.”

Besides, Erin wouldn’t want to move anyway. She’s just wants a bigger school to attend. 

Advocates for SD73 say they are planning to hold similar rallies in the future as they push for any funding for the district. They also plan to email and write letters to the Education Ministry.