By Greg Fry

SD73 superintendent: Budget responds well to special needs students

Apr 4, 2018 | 12:17 PM

KAMLOOPS — School District 73 Superintendent Alison Sidow is giving this year’s budget top marks for responding to the needs of special needs students.

She says the $172 million budget will be deliberated and likely passed at its April 23 meeting in Kamloops.

“What stands out most for me is that we’ve been able to respond to concerns that students with special needs require additional assistance in order for inclusion to be a success,” she says. “We’ve been able to hire a district principal of inclusion which will support that process. As well as 10 additional certified education assistants. So, all of that is in the budget and it bodes well for students with special needs.”

She says the 2018-19 budget will also support other key initiatives, including:

• Improvement of math and science outcomes for students;
• Implementation of a new graduation program;
• Focus on career education in grades K to 12;
• Improved delivery of public services, such as snow removal at school sites and building maintenance;
• Focus on school culture and student safety;
• Better tools to communicate with parents, including a redesigned district website and a mobile app;
• Implementation of an online school fee payment program for parents and enhanced oversight of school budgeting processes.

Boogie The Bridge

Boogie The Bridge Event Information

Apr 19, 2024

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: A fond farewell to the airwaves from the Armchair Mayor

51m ago

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Short-term rental rules coming into effect in British Columbia

20h ago

Sidow says other new positions in the district include a director of secondary learning services, a career education teacher coordinator, a teacher coordinator for numeracy, a finance manager, two additional tradespeople and two permanent grounds crew.

In addition to that she says the district will continue to hire teachers to ensure classroom size and composition requirements are met.

Enrollment growth in the district has exceeded 400 students in the past three years.