RELEASE: Only Two Vancouver School Board Trustees Vote “No” to Adoption of the $600 million Annual Budget for 2024-25

May 3rd, 2024

The Vancouver School Board voted 7 to 2 to adopt a $600 million annual budget for 2024-25. COPE Trustee Suzie Mah and OneCity Trustee Jennifer Reddy voted to reject the budget.

VANCOUVER (Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Territories) – The Vancouver School Board voted 7 to 2 to adopt a $600 million annual budget for 2024-25. COPE Trustee Suzie Mah and OneCity Trustee Jennifer Reddy voted to reject the budget.

“I am firm in my decision to vote against this budget,” said OneCity Trustee Jennifer Reddy. “It does not give me any confidence that we are using every tool we have to support Vancouver students with their educational needs. When I hear trustees validate building up a reserve fund while students go without supports, I know we are not values aligned.”

“This budget does not meet the needs of the students in our district,” said COPE Trustee Suzie Mah. “We have heard from the public, parents, and other stakeholder groups and they all said that support for special needs students and the lack of teachers and support staff were critical issues that needed to be addressed in this budget. There is nothing in this budget that addresses this.”

Trustees Reddy and Mah both expressed disappointment with the final budget – both the process and the content.

“Right now, when a classroom teacher is away sick and if a substitute teacher is not available, a teacher who should be working with special needs students gets reassigned to cover for that classroom teacher. These special needs students receive funding from the provincial government, but they lose out on their programming if their teacher is being asked to cover another teacher for the day. This is not right,” said Mah.

Reddy suggests that the ABC/Green board ignored commentary and suggestions from employee and parent groups as well.

“As a second term trustee, I am surprised to see the School Board’s disregard of the input and feedback from the largest employee groups, parents, and the public. My budget amendments to increase the budget for purchasing instructional supplies, and to address the staffing shortage were both voted down. It appears to be too much to ask that elected trustees debate the motions in front of them,” said Trustee Reddy.

Reddy and Mah expressed a willingness to work together to advocate for a transparent, accountable, and democratic budget process.

Suzie Mah and Jennifer Reddy

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Coalition of Progressive Electors
cope@copevancouver.ca