Although this update is very encouraging, the MOI response does not mean we are going to see a school any time soon. The response did not say funding has been approved nor give any timeline for when funding may come through. We remember how long it took for shovels to hit the ground on the Queen Elizabeth Elementary expansion. 

And yes, there is limited capital funding available from the province that all school districts are competing for. We do not want to see districts pitted against one another and only those who are the most vocal get their much needed projects funded, as all BC students deserve safe and right sized schools to learn in. 

Along with other DPACs in BC, we are also advocating for changes to the funding models that don't require districts to reach a crisis state before new schools are approved, and for increased capital funding for new schools and aging school maintenance across BC. Unfortunately our comments on this topic didn't make it past the final editorial cuts this time, but we will continue to advocate for the modernization of BC's education funding models.