Inviting public input on the upcoming SD73 budget is nothing more than the school district “going through the motions,” as far as the president of the District Parent Advisory Council is concerned.
“It’s very, very hard to do the kind of input and collaboration and consultation that we are used to as parents in this district,” Bonnie McBride told the Chronicle.
The 2026-2027 budget was effectively approved by trustees in late February and went out to the public for any amendments in March. McBride said this isn’t enough time for parents and other stakeholders to weigh in, and for trustees to make changes, before the document needs final approval.
“As parents, we will not see what is proposed to the board. We will not have the opportunity to provide feedback before the board is required to pass [the budget],” she said.
A final public session will be held Monday, April 20, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will provide a preview of the school district’s 2026-2027 budget and priorities before it goes to the board of education for initial approval on April 27.
The public will have until April 23 to provide feedback following the April 20 meeting.
The district launched its consultation process in early March, turning to DPAC, the Kamloops-Thompson Teachers Association, CUPE Local 3500, the Indigenous Education Council and the Kamloops-Thompson Principals and Vice-Principals association for feedback ahead of broader public engagement.
Early responses highlighted inclusive education and support for vulnerable learners, student counselling and mental health supports, additional funding for schools with complex needs and financial help for families experiencing hardship as areas for funding focus.
Parents have raised several concerns with the consultation process this year, with McBride and fellow DPAC members raising five key points with the school board at a public meeting in March.
These concerns have been brought to trustees before in hope of being addressed in the current budget. McBride said they have not.
To paraphrase, these concerns include how budget cuts affect student supports, a loss of staff and increased pressure on classrooms, a lack of clarity and confidence in budget planning, students feeling impacted outside the classroom, and a growing inequality between schools and communities.
As an example, McBride said SD73 is relying on a new secondary school in Aberdeen to relieve pressures felt at Sa-Hali secondary, which is currently at 165 percent capacity. There’s only been one new school built in the district in 25 years.
She said Pacific Way has no playground space left, yet the district’s solution for overcrowding is to add more modular buildings to ease classroom pressures.
“The kids at Pacific Way, if they want to do track and field, they have to go down to the Tournament Capital Centre,” McBride said. “They do not have outdoor space.”
Kamloops-Thompson School District officials maintain parents get the same opportunities to provide input as other stakeholders, and their concerns are equally as valid. School board chair Heather Grieve said the district has a mandate to make sure it is putting dollars where long-term sustainability is most achievable.
“There are a number of different considerations and priorities that people come to the table with, and we don’t believe that one voice is more valuable than another,” Grieve said.
“We’re trying to be thoughtful and take in all the information and make sustainable and purposeful decisions moving forward.”