The Board of Education Highlights provide updates on presentations and decisions made during the Board Meetings. For more information, please visit our District website where you can view the full agenda and video stream of the meeting: www.sd61.bc.ca/board-of-education/meetings-of-the-board/
Board Meeting Highlights – June 21, 2021
Bank Street School Building
In response to correspondence from the City of Victoria, the Board directed staff to meet with City of Victoria staff to discuss potential options for the Bank St. school building after the school district receives its own building condition analysis and cost estimate report.
New Accessible BC Act
Trustees voted in support of writing a letter to the Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction Minister, the Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility, and local MLAs requesting that people and children with dyslexia/learning and communication disability designations be included in the new Accessible British Columbia Act.
Recycling Soft Plastic
The Board directed the Superintendent to set up “green teams” in each school that will categorize and weigh soft plastic accumulated in the schools once a week. Facilities staff will work with schools to review data and develop recommendations in the Spring of 2022 on how to reduce the waste of soft plastics.
Draft Compost and Waste Policy
Reinforcing the Board’s commitment to climate change, trustees directed the Superintendent to create a working committee and consultation process to prepare a draft of a Compost and Waste Policy. This proposed policy would be in alignment with the District’s environmental values and goals.
Climate Action Plan
The Board directed the Superintendent to prepare a Climate Action Plan by December 2021 for consideration by the Board and stakeholders.
Capital Plan
Trustees approved the 2022/2023 Five Year Annual Capital Plan to submit to the Ministry of Education. Included in the plan is an addition to Sundance Elementary school to increase capacity to 200 students, acquisition of a new space for a downtown Victoria elementary school, seismic upgrades for identified schools, and upgrades and improvements to buildings.
For more details, review the Five Year Capital Plan (p.262):
https://pub-sd61.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=1596
2021/2022 Five Year Annual Capital Plan Ministry Response Letter
In response to last June’s capital plan submission, the Ministry is supporting School Enhancement, Carbon Neutral, Building Envelope and Playground Enhancement projects at Victoria High, Mount Douglas, Spectrum Community, Northridge and Lake Hill Schools as well as four electric buses.
Electric Buses
The Board approved the purchase of four electric buses. The District provides busing for approximately 120 students that live within a school catchment that still requires them to travel distances over the District’s walking limits. Busing for these students is currently provided by a contractor. Moving forward, the District aims to use the electric buses to provide services in-house—saving $44,000 to $48,000 annually—while lowering the District’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Calendonia Covenant, Right-of-Way and Land Exchange, Property Acquisition and Lease
The Board approved the first two readings of the Caledonia Bylaw 2021 on Monday, June 21, 2021. At a Special Board Meeting on June 24, 2021, the Board passed the third reading of the bylaw. With all three readings of the bylaws passed, the District, subject to the Minister of Education’s permission, City of Victoria, Capital Region Housing Corporation, and BC Housing will proceed to redevelop an existing project and surrounding land located at 1211 Gladstone. This development will result in more affordable housing in the Fernwood neighbourhood.
To learn more about the Board’s upcoming work and to prepare for upcoming conversations, please visit the Board’s Annual Work Plan: www.sd61.bc.ca/board-of-education/governance-framework-and-annual-work-plan/
For media inquiries, please contact:
Lisa McPhail
Communications & Community Engagement
Office: 250.475.4103