By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
The School District 57 board meeting, typically held in Prince George, was held in McBride on October 8th. The trip gave board members the opportunity to tour Valemount and McBride schools, and meet local students and staff.
“The board and all the staff are thrilled to be here today,” said Chair Craig Brennan.
Board members especially appreciated the opportunity to see the newly-renovated Valemount Elementary School kitchen, Brennan added.
“Seeing how they changed that space from what it was to what it is now is quite remarkable,” Brennan said.
Enrollment report
Provincial funding for school districts is based in part on the number of students enrolled full-time. According to a report from Superintendent Jameel Aziz, full-time enrollment in School District 57 has increased in the 2024-2025 school year, compared to the previous year.
McBride Secondary School has about 9.7 more students in full-time enrollment – because full-time enrollment is based on the amount of courses students are taking, sometimes the number of students enrolled full-time comes out to an uneven number when students take extra courses, according to Aziz.
McBride Centennial Elementary has one more student enrolled full-time. Valemount Secondary School has 11 more students enrolled full-time, and Valemount Elementary School has 13 more students enrolled full-time.
This is good news for SD57’s finances, Aziz said.
“There are school districts around the province who are [hundreds of students] below their projections, and many of those districts budgeted based on their projections so they have some challenges in terms of deficit,” Aziz said. “We do not have that issue: we’ll be in good stead going forward.”
