The panel will be chaired by Chris Trumpy, former deputy minister of finance who worked underNDP and Liberal governments and who also led the government’s fiscal review of Crown corporations last fall.
Joining him on the panel will be Piet Langstraat, superintendent of the Greater Victoria School District; Flavia Coughlan, secretary-treasurer at the Maple Ridge School District and vice-president of the B.C. Association of School Business Officials; Angus Wilson, superintendent of the Mission School District; Philip Steenkamp, current vice-president external relations at the University of British Columbia and former deputy minister in several Liberal government ministries including Advanced Education; Kelly Pollack, founder and former CEO of Immigrant Employment Council of B.C.; and Lynda Minnabarriet, secretary-treasurer for the Gold Trail School District.
Lynda shared her duties between SD 53 South Okanagan Similkameen and Gold Trail for a number of years an is able representative.
The panel will review the current funding model — how government distributes more than $5.65 billion in operating funding to 60 boards of education throughout the province. The current system was established in 2002, and needs to be updated to reflect changes underway within B.C.’s education system, rising enrolment and to better support student success.
The goal of the review is to find a better way to provide equitable and predictable funding to boards of education. A new funding model should also look to better support vulnerable students, including children in care, children with special needs and Indigenous students, as well as rural and remote school districts, and those with fast-growing student populations.
The panel will submit their report on the recommended funding formula to government which it hopes will be in place for the 2019/20 school year.
BC Teachers’ Federation President Glen Hansman says the teachers’ union is pleased with the guiding principles and panel makeup.
The review comes 16 years after the previous Liberal government changed the funding formula.