Peter Kerek

Beat Klossner

For the immediate short term I would like to see free breakfast, lunch and afternoon meals provided to every child in the school. This measure is not something that really costs a lot of money in the big scheme of things, can be implemented quickly , and will have an immensely positive effect on learning.

All fees, extra charges etc. have to disappear. A field trip, the rental of a musical instrument, sports equipment etc. needs to be available to every child.

In the longer term we need a much higher standardization of our public schools. it is not acceptable that there are "better" and "worse" schools in the system. The goal has to be every school fully equipped , staffed and serviced to its needs. Every child deserves an awesome school, regardless of the wealth.

Meghan Wade

Your opening statement is very true. On the local level, the Board works with staff and schools in developing and partnering with community organizations to tackle the issues children face when living in poverty: breakfast programs, lunch programs, the starfish backpack project, donation rooms, etc. Trustees also have a provincial organization, the British Columbia School Trustees Association, which advocates to the Provincial and Federal governments on social issues that trustees believe are a foundation to public education, and topping that list is children in poverty.

John O'Fee

I was lucky to grow up in Kamloops in a stable home and a parent who had a steady, trade related job. As one of seven children we were not rich, but we were a long way from living in poverty. In my past time on the board, I would meet with committed educators who expressed their concerns about the challenges faced by many students. Poverty leads to instability and often children have attended multiple schools by the end of first or second grade. This lack of a stable home life manifests itself in the school system and elsewhere. School trustees can support programs aimed at the most vulnerable children to ensure they have appropriate nutrition and that their basic needs are being met. However, the core mandate for ensuring minimum living standards for children and their families lies with higher levels of government. School Boards do not have the budget or the mandate to address broader social issues such as poverty.

Joe Small

The Kamloops-Thompson School Board works very closely with several of local organizations (i.e. Interior Community Services and Make Children First) to ensure all children experience an education in a safe and nurturing environment. Breakfast and lunch programs are run in our schools located in several areas of the city and SD 73 has a policy in place that ensures a student's opportunity to participate in extra-curricular events is not hampered by the family's financial situation.