By Kendall Robertson

School District 57 Year In Review

Dec 27, 2018 | 11:32 AM

PRINCE GEORGE- 2018 was a big year for School District 57. It saw a number of issues, and highlights, but most notably an election quite different than ever before. A ward system was introduced that changed the way the Board of Education looks, so every community in the District has more representation. For long-time Board Chair, Tim Bennett, it was a good year and he’s looking forward to working with his new colleagues over the next term. The new trustees will get straight to work in the new year with a new funding formula that has yet to be announced by the Province. “We’ve been told numerous times that there’s not going to be an increase to quantum, that the size of the pie will be the same, so if you’re looking at how you redistribute that then there will be winners and losers and when the funding formula changed in 2001 that had a negative impact on the District and we as a board don’t want that to happen again,” said Bennett. The Board has sent a request to the Province to delay implementing the new formula as it has a number of things on its plate for the new year, from new graduation curriculum, to bargaining with teacher and support staff unions, and budgeting as a new board in the Spring. 

The Board will also have to deal with growing pains over the next term as capacity continues to be an issue at a number of schools in Prince George. Duchess Park was highlighted in 2018 as the school with the biggest capacity problem, but it’s not limited to just the secondary level. “We know that if we don’t expand our secondary numbers within the next five years this growth we’re seeing at the elementary schools is going to force us into a position where we don’t have enough secondary seats in Prince George,” added Bennett,”we’re working with the Ministry of Education and an expansion of DP Todd is the number one request on our capital plan right now.” Bennett applauded the work done by District staff in the past when it comes to getting capital requests approved, most recently with Kelly Road Secondary. He hopes that request will help to address some of the capacity issues moving forward.