Together We Learn

<p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">As we collectively mourn the recent tragedy, our thoughts remain with the victims, families, and entire community of Tumbler Ridge. As a school board, as parents, and as British Columbians, our hearts are broken. Our focus is now on the suffering of those directly impacted, the safety and well-being of our own school communities, and the shared sorrow felt across our province.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We are saddened to see hatred emerging in the wake of this tragedy. Even as families waited to hear of their children’s status on that terrible day, there were some who revealed their own motives by speculating and assigning blame to the suspect’s identity. While we all seek answers in times of grief and uncertainty, it is never acceptable to target a community or assign blame to someone’s identity.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Board of Education remains committed to making sure schools are safe and welcoming for everyone. All students, staff, and members of our school communities are welcome for who they are. To ensure safety, our policies will continue to uphold the BC Human Rights Code; discrimination against any aspect of a person’s identity has no place in our schools or facilities. To those who feel unsafe or are concerned about others due to recent rhetoric, know that our Board remains committed to your safety and well-being at school.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">While some wounds of this tragedy may never heal, we know our only path forward is compassion and togetherness. To echo the words of some of those directly impacted, we urge our community to focus on the lives cut short and those who must live with immeasurable loss. In our schools, in our workplaces, and in our homes, may we continue to champion the kindness we all need right now.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><a href="/documents/37f49e24-3eac-4157-912a-0b9b55fb8e0b/2026-02-13-Board-Statement-on-Tumbler-Ridge-Tragedy.pdf" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">See the signed statement here.</span></a></p>

<h4 class="editor-heading-h4" dir="ltr"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Budget Development Overview</strong></b></h4><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Ministry of Education and Child Care requires Boards of Education to plan and report spending in alignment with their strategic plans. For Central Okanagan Public Schools, this means ensuring that every investment supports student learning, equity, system wellbeing, and the sustainability of our programs.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The budget is the culmination of presentations, consultation sessions, and collaborative discussion across our school system. The goal is to present a responsible, balanced budget that reflects the best educational decisions for students while meeting all legislative requirements.</span></p><h4 class="editor-heading-h4" dir="ltr"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Current Budget Context</strong></b></h4><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Like many districts in British Columbia, Central Okanagan Public Schools continues to encounter inflationary pressures, capacity challenges, and increasingly complex student needs. Looking forward to the 2026/2027 school year, the District projects a decline in student enrolment and anticipates further budgetary constraints. These financial pressures stem from rising inflation, legislative requirements, and increased costs associated with benefits, utilities, insurance, software licensing, and other essential services. As district funding is allocated by the Ministry of Education and Child Care on a per pupil basis, it is crucial that the per pupil rates for 2026/2027 are appropriately adjusted to reflect these growing demands.</span></p><h4 class="editor-heading-h4" dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Public Engagement &amp; 2026/2027 Budget Survey</strong></b></h4><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Central Okanagan Public Schools values authentic input from our learning community.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The </span><a href="https://tejoin.com/scroll/391833275" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><u><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-underline" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">2026/2027 Budget Survey is open from February 4 to March 4, 2026</strong></b></u></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, inviting feedback from staff, partner groups, parents, students, and community members. Responses help the District understand which programs and services are community priorities, especially during times of fiscal pressure.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><figure><a href="https://tejoin.com/scroll/391833275" target="_blank" title="Click here to take the survey"><img src="/images/a8d69f10-099d-42e6-b9de-238f59becd6c" alt="Click here to take the survey (2)" width="100%" height="inherit" style="width:100%;height:inherit;display:inline-block"></a><figurecaption>Click here to take the survey</figurecaption></figure></p><h4 class="editor-heading-h4" dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Budget Guiding Principles</strong></b></h4><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">In accordance with the </span><a href="https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96412_02" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><i><em class="editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">School Act</em></i></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, the District prepares a comprehensive budget plan each year. Guiding principles ensure that decisions are consistent, student‑centered, and aligned with District values:</span></p><ul class="editor-list-ul"><li value="1" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The student comes first.</span></li><li value="2" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">All allocations reflect the District’s Vision, Purpose, Cultural Values, Strategic Plan, and school‑level goals.</span></li><li value="3" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Resources must be used effectively and responsibly.</span></li><li value="4" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The annual budget must be balanced and meet all statutory requirements.</span></li></ul><h4 class="editor-heading-h4" dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Board of Education Strategic Plan</strong></b></h4><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Board’s budget development principles work in tandem with the </span><a href="https://www.sd23.bc.ca/documents/b39c0875-253d-5f5b-8ae7-f58ce1771ea9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">2021–2026 Strategic Plan</strong></b></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, which reinforces the four strategic directions that underpin budget priorities. These strategic directions guide how budget requests are evaluated and resources are allocated across the District. </span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><img src="/images/8a30150e-425d-4dd3-b0ff-5ff0b1180d3b" alt="Budget Strat Plan " width="100%" height="inherit" style="width:100%;height:inherit;display:inline-block"></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><br></p><h4 class="editor-heading-h4" dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Annual Budget Development Timeline</strong></b></h4><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The following outlines the timeline for the development of the 2026/2027 Budget.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><img src="/images/33706e91-71f7-4e0f-8ed5-3e8f432a3272" alt="Budget Timeline " width="100%" height="inherit" style="width:100%;height:inherit;display:inline-block"></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><br></p><details open="false"><summary><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Annual Budget Development Timeline</span></p></summary><div data-lexical-collapsible-content="true"><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Feb. 2, 2026: Budget Info Presentation/Budget Survey Begins</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Feb. 11, 2026: Finance and Planning Committee Meeting</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Mar. 13, 2026: Ministry of Education and Child Care District Funding Announcement</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apr. 15, 2026: Superintendent of Schools Budget Proposal Report at Finance and Planning Committee Meeting</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apr. 29, 2026: Superintendent of Schools Budget Report at Finance and Planning Committee Meeting</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">May 20, 2026: Tentative Annual Budget Bylaw Set at Public Board Meeting</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Jun. 17, 2026: Review of 2026/2027 Annual Budget Bylaw at Finance and Planning Committee Meeting</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Jun. 24, 2026: Adopt 2026/2027 Annual Budget Bylaw at Public Board Meeting</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Jun. 30, 2026: 2026/2027 Annual Budget Bylaw Due to Ministry of Education and Child Care</span></p></div></details><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Additional Resources</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">For more information, please explore:</span></p><ul class="editor-list-ul"><li value="1" class="editor-listitem"><a href="https://www.sd23.bc.ca/documents/9c1ca0fc-0974-4a3f-911b-376a0c840758/26-27-Budget-Planning-Presentation.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">2026/2027 Budget Planning Presentation</span></a></li><li value="2" class="editor-listitem"><a href="https://www.sd23.bc.ca/documents/0cf5b103-c8a4-4e64-9608-0ed515a31ac5/2025-26-Annual-Budget.pdf" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">2025/2026 Annual Budget</span></a></li><li value="3" class="editor-listitem"><a href="https://www.sd23.bc.ca/documents/295e69ad-827e-45d9-8711-5ce5cae0f391/SD23-2024-25-Financial-Statements-FINAL-SIGNED.pdf" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">2024/2025 Financial Statements</span></a></li></ul>

<p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The refresh of the </span><a href="https://www.sd23.bc.ca/documents/b39c0875-253d-5f5b-8ae7-f58ce1771ea9/District_Strategic_Plan_-_2021-2026.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><u><span class="editor-text-underline" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Strategic Plan</span></u></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> is underway and there will be public engagement sessions through January and February 2026.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Please consider </span><a href="https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=fm6MqPyOx0uVb-gXBFfxeD60HbMpeuFKvbApR2YajUBUOTVNSlpCVVNHTkZEUUM4VUhMWTQ5Q0Y4UyQlQCN0PWcu" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">registering to attend</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> the session for your family of schools/area. </span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Session are not presentations, they are facilitated conversations to make sure every voice is heard as we shape the future of Central Okanagan Public Schools, from the focus in classrooms to parent engagement to shaping budgets, and more. This is a unique opportunity for our families, staff, and community to be heard as they engage in authentic conversations with our school leaders, senior staff, and trustees. </span></p><h3 class="editor-heading-h3" dir="ltr"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Strategic Plan: 2026 Public Engagement Sessions </strong></b></h3><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">January</strong></b></p><ul class="editor-list-ul"><li value="1" class="editor-listitem"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Thu., Jan. 15, 2026 (6:00–9:00 p.m.) — COPAC-focused session</strong></b></li><li value="2" class="editor-listitem editor-nested-listitem"><ul class="editor-list-ul"><li value="1" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Location: LC Meeting Room 355</span></li></ul></li><li value="2" class="editor-listitem"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Thu., Jan. 22, 2026 (6:00–9:00 p.m.) Rutland Senior Secondary School</strong></b></li><li value="3" class="editor-listitem editor-nested-listitem"><ul class="editor-list-ul"><li value="1" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Location: RSS Foyer</span></li></ul></li><li value="3" class="editor-listitem"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Mon., Jan. 26, 2026 (6:00–9:00 p.m.) George Elliot Secondary School</strong></b></li><li value="4" class="editor-listitem editor-nested-listitem"><ul class="editor-list-ul"><li value="1" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Location: GESS Library</span></li></ul></li></ul><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">February</strong></b></p><ul class="editor-list-ul"><li value="1" class="editor-listitem"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Thu., Feb. 5, 2026 (6:00–9:00 p.m.) Mount Boucherie Secondary School</strong></b></li><li value="2" class="editor-listitem editor-nested-listitem"><ul class="editor-list-ul"><li value="1" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Location: MBSS Foyer</span></li></ul></li><li value="2" class="editor-listitem"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Tue., Feb. 10, 2026 (6:00–9:00 p.m.) École Kelowna Secondary School</strong></b></li><li value="3" class="editor-listitem editor-nested-listitem"><ul class="editor-list-ul"><li value="1" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Location: KSS MPR</span></li></ul></li><li value="3" class="editor-listitem"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Tue., Feb. 17, 2026 (6:00–9:00 p.m.) École Okanagan Mission Secondary School</strong></b></li><li value="4" class="editor-listitem editor-nested-listitem"><ul class="editor-list-ul"><li value="1" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Location: OKM MPR</span></li></ul></li></ul>

<h4 class="editor-heading-h4" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Spring enrolment application period begins </span><a href="https://www.sd23.bc.ca/school-enrollment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Monday, February 2, 2026 at 7:00 a.m. online</strong></b></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and runs until Friday, March 13th, 2026. </span></h4><p class="editor-paragraph"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.sd23.bc.ca/documents/Registration-Ad-Spring-2026-2027-FI-Note.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><u><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-underline" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Click here for the Spring 2026 Registration Ad</strong></b></u></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> or click </span><a href="https://www.sd23.bc.ca/school-enrollment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><u><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-underline" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">here for the enrolment page</strong></b></u></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Summer enrolment period: Tues., Sept. 1, 2026 - Thurs., Sept. 3, 2026</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">French Immersion Kindergarten Info Session on Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. </span><a href="https://sd23.zoom.us/j/64295820700?from=addon#success" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">on Zoom</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p>