October 21, 2025 From The Board Report

To Download the From the Board Report, click here.

MEETING OPENING
The K̓wsaltktnéws ne Secwepemcúl’ecw School District No. 83 Board of Education held its Regular Board meeting on October 21, 2025, with all trustees in attendance, confirming quorum. Board Chair Corryn Grayston opened with a welcome and acknowledged that the Board holds its meetings on the traditional and unceded land of the Secwépemc people.

BUSINESS ARISING
Trustee Variation
In May 2025, the Board of Education surveyed Rightsholders, stakeholders, District staff, and local governments about potentially increasing the number of trustees for the 2026 election, following a recommendation from the 2016 Watson Report. Of the 326 respondents, feedback indicated a need for more data on student distribution and trustee allocation. To address these concerns, a second survey was conducted in September 2025.

The second survey revealed that most respondents preferred maintaining the current trustee structure.

Following a robust a discussion, the motion to add one trustee in the Armstrong/Spallumcheen/Falkland/Silver Creek electoral area and one trustee in the Enderby/Sicamous/Malakwa/Grindrod area was defeated.

Read the details contained in Superintendent Kriger’s Trustee Variation briefing note.

Facility Rental Fees 2025-26
The District rents and leases school facilities to various user groups and organizations throughout our communities. The rates that the District currently charges have not been updated since the mid-1990’s and do not support proper stewardship of our facilities.

Acting Secretary-Treasurer Jeremy Hunt presented the revised proposed facility rental fees increase for 2025-26. These fees will take effect on January 1, 2026. Future review and proposed changes to fees will be presented to the Board in June for implementation starting July 1, 2026, to align with the District’s fiscal year.

Read the details contained in Acting Secretary-Treasurer Hunt’s Facility Rental Fees 2025-26 briefing note.

Policy 135 – Trustee Attendance
Board Chair Corryn Grayston presented Policy 135 – Trustee Attendance for information. Additional information is contained in Superintendent Donna Kriger’s Policy 135-Trustee Attendance briefing note.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
The Superintendent Report focused on three pillars of the Strategic Plan: Intellectual Development, Organizational Development, and Human & Social Development.

Intellectual Development
Superintendent Kriger shared that Student/Teacher/Family Conferences were held on October 20, 2025. She highlighted the importance of meaningful, ongoing communication between home and school. These conferences provide valuable opportunities to discuss student strengths, areas for growth, and strategies to support learning. This type of engagement has a direct, positive impact on student achievement and well-being.

Organizational Development
The Strategic Focus Publication, which aligns with the Strategic Plan, will be shared with Rightsholders, stakeholders, staff, partner groups, and the public.

Superintendent Kriger reminded the Board that the updated school and district websites are scheduled to launch by December.

Human & Social Development
Superintendent Kriger provided an update on certified education assistant (CEA) staffing. Student Support Services is showing growth in staffing: from 165 CEAs in September 2024 to 179 CEAs by the end of September 2025, including three new “Regional” CEAs. These additions, made in collaboration with CUPE, help ensure coverage during staff absences and enhance support for students across the District.

She reminded the Board of the ‘Why’ behind school reconfiguration. The purpose of transitioning to a K-7, 8-12 model in the Salmon Arm urban and rural feeder schools is to reduce transitions between schools and strengthen relationships among students and staff. This initiative is especially beneficial for Priority Learners, supporting both academic success and a stronger sense of belonging. A three-year transition plan (2025–2028) began with secondary school changes in 2025–26. Details regarding reconfiguration are available on the District website: Reconfiguration Information.

To access the Superintendent Report PowerPoint, click here.

EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT
Getting Started With AI
The Board received an overview of the District’s progress in introducing and supporting artificial intelligence (AI) in schools. The presentation, Getting Started with AI, highlighted SD83’s involvement in the Thompson-Okanagan Regional Collaborative on AI in Education, a partnership among 15 school districts exploring safe, ethical, and effective ways to integrate AI into learning and operations.

Director of Instruction Reid Findlay shared how the District is approaching AI use through a long-term literacy and capacity-building strategy, emphasizing that it is “a long game, not a short game.” Lessons developed through the Focused Education Resources network are now being introduced in schools to help students and teachers understand topics such as what AI is, how it works, ethics, bias, and academic honesty. These resources are grouped for primary, intermediate, and secondary levels and include videos, teacher guides, and extension activities.

To ensure student safety and privacy, SD83 will support the use of District-approved tools that include enterprise data protection such as, SchoolAI, Magic School, and Microsoft Copilot. In line with provincial privacy legislation, students under 13 will not have access to generative AI tools without parental consent.

The accompanying presentation reinforced several key themes emerging from the provincial AI Collaborative:

• Ethical Imperatives: The need for transparency, privacy, and equity while exploring new technologies.
• Pedagogical Shifts: Moving from a focus on product to process, encouraging reflection, decision-making, and student agency in how AI is used.
• Human Agency: Teaching students to understand when and why to use AI, and to reflect on how it influences their thinking.
• Transparency, Accountability, and Responsibility: Students must document how AI is used, take ownership for their submissions, and explain their decisions when accepting or rejecting AI-generated suggestions.

By empowering educators with the right tools and training, the District will ensure AI enhances learning while keeping human connection at the center of education.

NEW BUSINESS
Field Trip Request – Eagle River Secondary – Alps & Mediterranean Coast 2026
In accordance with Regulation 8050.1 of the Board Policy Manual, which states: “All field trips taken outside North America must receive the prior approval of the Board of Education. Full information on the trip must be provided at least six months prior to the date of the anticipated trip,” Eagle River Secondary School has submitted a request for an international field trip.

Teacher Dakota Mellin and student Rielle Walsh presented details regarding the proposed trip for Grade 10–12 students to Switzerland, Italy, France, and Spain. The presentation included information about EF Tours, curricular connections, trip costs and funding, and insurance. All relevant documentation is included in the Board agenda package.

The Board of Education has approved, in principle, the Eagle River Secondary School International Field Trip scheduled for March 2026.

Board/Authority Authorized Courses – Autobody 11 & 12
After many years of successfully partnering with Vancouver Community College (VCC) to offer an Automotive Collision Repair Dual Credit Program at AL Fortune Secondary, the cost of the program was no longer viable for either VCC or School District No. 83 to continue. After exploring the possibility of creating a different type of partnership with VCC where our Red Seal / BC Certified Teacher could be the teacher and VCC could be the curriculum provider, we determined that the best approach for our students was to offer Auto Collision Repair to students through a Board Authorized/Approved (BAA) course.

BAA courses span a wide range of topics that allow students to explore personal interests and career pathways. Providing students with a pathway while in high school to explore this automotive trade supports our Career Development goal of having each student develop the skills and competencies necessary to be successful in a career or community pathway of their choice. The learning progressions outlined in these two new BAA courses build upon the strong foundation of the Auto Body 10 BAA course that previously served as the natural entry point to the Dual Credit Program we can no longer offer.

The Board of Education passed a motion approving the Autobody 11 & 12 courses.

Board Policy 138 – Electronic Meetings of the Board
Superintendent Kriger presented Board Policy 138 – Electronic Meetings of the Board for information and discussion. As a reminder, there is currently no legal requirement for the Board to livestream meetings or publicly post video recordings.

Following discussion, trustees agreed to:

• Review data on the number of video views and levels of online participation.
• Revisit the policy at a future meeting to determine an appropriate duration for public accessibility of recorded meetings.
• Consider shortening the period during which recordings remain publicly available.

COMMITTEE REPORTS
Education Direction Committee
Trustee Marianne VanBuskirk reported that the next Education Directions Committee meeting is scheduled for November 5, 2025.

Finance & Facilities / Audit Committee
September 2025 1701 Enrolment Update
Acting Secretary-Treasurer Hunt reported that the September 29, 2025, 1701 enrolment count resulted in an increase of 23.1013 FTE compared to the original projections made in February 2025. However, this reflects a decrease of 90.3750 FTE compared to the enrolment recorded on September 29, 2024.

The September 2025 1701 Enrolment Update briefing note was presented for information purposes.

2026/27 Budget Development Process and Timeline
Pursuant to Section 113 (2) of the School Act, the Minister of Education requires that Annual Budgets be prepared, adopted by bylaw, and submitted on or before June 30th each fiscal year. The proposed 2026-2027 Annual Budget Development Process and Timeline is being presented for Board consideration and adoption.

The Board of Education made a motion to adopt the 2026/27 Budget Development Process and Timeline, as presented.

Policy Committee
Trustee Brent Gennings and Superintendent Kriger brought forward the Policy Committee’s recommendations to the Board, proposing they are repealed:

• Policy 8060 Education of Indigenous Students – the District has renewed the Local Education Agreements with the four First Nations on whose territory the school district is located on. The Quelmúcw Education Council has also recently constructed a Terms of Reference that outlines the scope of and way the Council will conduct its business.
• Policy 10010 Community Similarities and Differences – the contents of the policy are covered through Policy 130 – Roles and Responsibilities of the Board, Human Resources Guidelines, and contract language.
• Policy 10020 Parent and Community Involvement and Communications – the contents of the policy are covered through Policy 220 – Inquiries and Concerns, Policy 230 – Parent Advisory Councils, and the Communicating with Your School – A Guide for Families document.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
Ombudsperson – Student Exclusion from School
The Board received an update on the BC Ombudsperson’s province-wide investigation into student exclusion from school, particularly for students with diverse abilities and disabilities. The investigation includes reports from all districts, an online exclusion tracker, a sector-wide survey, and in-person visits by investigative teams.

Assistant Superintendent Chelsea Prince outlined SD83’s response, which included three years of data on suspensions, exclusions, and support programs. The review identified strengths in tracking suspension data and highlighted areas for growth, including consistency in practices, clarity of procedures, and ongoing staff training.

To strengthen inclusion practices, SD83 developed Administrative Procedure 350 – Supporting the Inclusion of Students in Schools, providing clear, District-wide guidance for principals and vice-principals. The Ombudsperson’s team visited the District on October 21, 2025, and recognized this new procedure as a progressive example of proactive leadership in supporting equitable access to education.

The Ombudsperson’s final provincial report, expected in 2025, will share findings and recommendations to improve inclusive practices and supports across BC.

Assistant Superintendent Prince’s BC Ombudsperson Investigation – Student Exclusion from School PowerPoint is available in the agenda package.

BCSTA UPDATE
Trustee Amanda Krebs reported that Board Chair Grayston and Superintendent Kriger will attend the Trustee Academy in Vancouver on November 27-28, 2025.

Board Chair Grayston, Vice Chair Tennile Lachmuth, Trustee VanBuskirk, and Superintendent Kriger attended the Fall 2025 BCSTA Thompson Okanagan Branch Meeting, held October 17–18 in Kamloops. Trustee VanBuskirk shared that the meeting included a meaningful and reflective visit to the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Board Chair Grayston reported that attendees received a presentation on Artificial Intelligence, followed by branch business discussions and district presentations highlighting local initiatives and challenges. During the business session, a resolution regarding funding for early childhood education was brought forward. Chair Grayston also noted that SD83 will host a future BCSTA Branch Meeting in 2027, with planning set to begin in the coming years.

UPCOMING DATES
November 3, 2025, 4–6 pm    Trustee Education Session (School Learning Plans)
November 18, 2025                   Regular Board Meeting
November 27-28, 2025             Trustee Academy, Vancouver