The Prince George Citizen

Ministry rejects school district’s funding request for ward system

- Citizen staff

B.C.’s education ministry has turned down School District 57’s request for $22,000 to cover the annual costs related to the creation of the new ward system.

Instead, it will have to find the money from within its existing budget, minister Rob Fleming said in a letter, noting the school district receives $10.5 million from the provincial government for unique geographic factors.

Mackenzie and communitie­s in the Robson Valley are now guaranteed a representa­tive on the school board under the new system, which consists of three trustee electoral areas.

Last month, Bob Thompson was elected trustee for Robson Valley and Shuirose Valimohame­d was elected by acclamatio­n to represent Mackenzie.

The five Prince George trustees are Tim Bennett, Sharel Warrington, Betty Bekkering, Trent Derrick and Ron Polillo.

The six schools in the Robson Valley and Mackenzie electoral areas generate about $3.4 million of the total the school district receives for geographic factors, Fleming also noted.

In all, the school district received $130.4 million in operating grants for the 2018-19 school year.

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