Education Minister Rob Fleming announced Thursday that the first half of the federal back-to-school funding allocated to B.C. will be received in September.
Fleming didn’t provide specific details on what the funding will be spent on, saying there “isn’t a one size fits all approach” and it will depend on the needs of each district and community.
“(District priorities) may be hiring additional teachers and supporting remote learning options, where the need for that is great, it may be different in a rural remote community where the emphasis might be on transportation or investments in a school around safety,” said Fleming.
Other areas the funding could go towards include cleaning supplies or personal protective equipment, mental health supports, improving air systems, opening additional before- or after-school care spaces, or covering salary costs for additional hours needed to meet health and safety guidelines.
B.C. received $242.4 million out of the total $2 billion set aside by the federal government to help provinces and territories support K-12 school restart plans for the 2020-21 school year amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The province will receive the first half of the one-time funding – part of Ottawa’s Safe Return to Class fund – in September.
Breaking that down, Fleming said $101 million is being allocated to public school districts, $7.9 million to independent schools and $12 million will be reserved for emerging COVID-19 issues between September and December 2020.
"This reserve amount will be allocated for the education sector before the end of December," he said.
The province will then receive the remaining funds, of up to $121 million, in January.
"Every dollar of the federal funding announced will benefit students in B.C.," said Fleming. "As the first week of school approaches, we want staff, students and their families to feel confident."
The federal funding is in addition to the provincial government's $45.6 million to support districts’ restart plans, which is already being put to use, said Fleming.
For example Richmond has purchased 1,200 hand sanitizer stations and installed 55 portable hand washing stations for classrooms without sinks, said Fleming.
The district has also hired 25 full-time custodians and more casual custodians are being recruited “as we speak,” he added.
Federal funds a 'game changer'
The B.C. Teachers Federation (BCTF) sent a letter to Fleming Wednesday outlining its suggestions for the federal funding.
BCTF president Terri Mooring called the funding a “game changer” for B.C.’s K-12 restart plan. The union would like to see the money spent on creating smaller class sizes and reducing density in schools, as well as creating hybrid and remote learning options in each district and funding additional mental health supports.
“I’ve certainly been hearing that school districts are hiring additional teachers to support remote learning programs as they need them,” Fleming said.
“And I think that will probably be a considerable area of how this money is utilized. And that’s good, that’s why we’re flowing it, but we don’t want to be prescriptive, understanding that different districts will have considerably different priorities based on what kind of needs they have.”
Schools are set to reopen after Labour Day, with students back in class on Sept. 10.
