Image Credit: Curtis Goodrum / CFJC Today

By Curtis Goodrum

DPAC REACTION

District Parent Advisory Council demands more investment in student supports

Sep 12, 2025 | 10:40 AM

KAMLOOPS – The School District 73 Board of Trustees annouced a budget surplus that was much larger than expected. This budget was not without critique, and District Parent Advisory Council president Bonnie McBride wants to see the district take more action with student support.

“They had extra money that came in that they weren’t anticipating, but they also spent considerably less money than they had budgeted for direct student support programming,” said McBride.

McBride believes the board could be doing more to advocate for the district.

“I’ve gone through the UCBM conference schedule. I’ve gone through what our municipalities will be speaking to ministers about, and I do not see schools on that list. I do not see advocacy and support letters from our school board as part of packages that our municipalities are bringing to the UBCM,” McBride said.

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School District 73 Trustee Board chair Heather Grieve says they are always advocating for more provincial support in a multitude of ways, including for more per-student funding and seeing funding through programs.

“While the funding, per student, hasn’t increased, we have in discussions with the province. We talk about the fact that we have feeding futures and other things that have come into play. There is money still coming in. When those things are factored in, it depends on the way that we look at the numbers. It is a conversation that we continue to have. Advocacy is happening,” said

The District says while it’s still waiting on official enrollment numbers, they are slowly trending down, and this could call for more hard decisions in the coming years around budgets.

“If they’re here by September 30th, it creates increased funding. Every student leaving the district, over the summer or partway through last year or at the end of last year, we lose that amount of money,” said SD73 Superintendent Mike McKay.

DPAC has criticized the district’s enrollment projections, saying those forecasts are being used to justify future cuts.

“We know, based on the count plan and our conversations as caregivers with the City of Kamloops and other municipalities within the district, that they are not anticipating slower growth into our community,” said McBride.

Final enrollment numbers should come at the end of September, which will then determine if the district needs to make cuts to maintain financial stability.