Under section 37 of the Teachers Act, employers are required to remit the $95 annual practice fee for certificate holders employed with the board. Please review the information in News & Notices in the Employers’ Area and follow the payroll-deduction instructions to ensure you remit the 2025/26 fees before May 15, 2025. If you have any questions, please email trb.employers@gov.bc.ca or call 236-455-1872.
Friday March 14, 2025
Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care
250-880-3451
Kaye.Krishna@gov.bc.ca
Hello, everyone. It was nice to see all of you at the All Superintendents and Partner Liaison Meetings in Vancouver last week. In the spirit of ongoing collaboration, I would value the opportunity to meet you in smaller or more focused settings, such as Chapter meetings, to learn more about the local and regional distinctions shaping the work going on in your districts and how we can work together even better as we move forward. Thank you to those who have already extended an invite to meet – we’re working hard to fit these into my calendar for some upcoming Spring Chapter meetings.
As the last DM Bulletin before we take a hiatus for Spring Break, you’ll find below a lot of information about deadlines. Annual practice fees for certificate holders are due in two months, and there are extensions to the Mental Health in Schools Conference registration and the BC Learning Pathways field review.
We also have new information about the Feeding Futures website launch, as well as funding announcements related to 2025/26 operating grants, a BCTEA Joint Transportation Info Session reminder, FESL, and the Canada-British Columbia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. There is also registration information for a webinar on substance use resources.
I wish you all a pleasant weekend, and a well-earned Spring Break to those of you starting. The DM Bulletin will resume on Friday, April 4.
Kaye
For Action
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Reminder – Mental Health in Schools Conference Registration
Registration is open for the Mental Health in Schools Conference in Vancouver on May 5-6, 2025. Invitations were sent to Superintendents on February 12, 2025, to register a school district team of five. This year’s theme is Walking Alongside (walking alongside students, staff, and the broader school community) to promote student and adult mental health and well-being in the B.C. K-12 education system. Registration must be complete before the deadline on April 4, 2025. If you have any questions, please contact bc.mentalhealthconference@gov.bc.ca.
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Reminder – British Columbia Tripartite Education Agreement (BCTEA) Joint Transportation Plan Drop-In Information Sessions
The Ministry of Education and Child Care, the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC), and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) encourage you to register for this year’s BCTEA Joint Plan Drop-In Information Sessions on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, from 10:00 am-11:00 am PST and Tuesday, April 29, 2025 from 10:00 am-11:00 am PDT. Details are available in this event backgrounder.
For Information
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Preliminary Operating Grants for the 2025/26 School Year
The 2025/26 preliminary operating grants have been completed for all 60 boards of education. Total district allocations are based on estimated 2025/26 enrolments provided by boards of education and generate a provincial preliminary total of $7.251 billion.
Detailed information on the Funding Allocation System is included in the Operating Grants Manual, which is available on the Ministry of Education and Child Care’s 2025/26 Estimated Operating Grants web page.
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Feeding Futures Website Launch
An updated Feeding Futures website has been launched to help schools, districts and families find important information about Feeding Futures funding and how schools and districts are creating and expanding school food programs in B.C.
The website includes information on:
- What Feeding Futures funding is and how it works in B.C.
- Why school food programs matter
- Creating and expanding a school food program
- B.C. food and local food literacy
- Nutrition and the BC School Food Toolkit
- Additional grants and funding opportunities
- Program spotlights
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Guidance for Drawing Down Remaining 2024/2025 Certificates of Approval
Districts are advised that the final draw dates for 2024/25 Certificates of Approval that expire on March 31 will be March 19 and 27. Please contact your respective Planning Officer if you are unable to draw down all 2024/25 funds by March 27, 2025.
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Canada–British Columbia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement Funding Extension
On March 6, the Government of Canada announced agreements with 11 of 13 provinces and territories to extend current early learning and child care agreements until March 31, 2031. This extension provides an additional $36.8 billion over five years and a 3% funding increase every year for four years, starting in 2027-28, to help provinces and territories respond to inflationary pressures. B.C. will receive $5.38 billion in funding over five years (2026-27 to 2030-31) to create and maintain affordable child care spaces. This will support the sustainability and stability of early learning and child care in B.C. and across Canada.
In July 2021, B.C. became the first jurisdiction in Canada to sign the $3.2 billion Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with the federal government. This milestone marked a significant achievement, highlighting our shared dedication and collaboration in creating a community-based child care system. In addition, B.C.’s Budget 2025 provides nearly $2.6 billion over three years to continue to implement the ChildCareBC plan.
Together, these investments will help families with child care costs, expand access to care and support the workforce and providers in delivering quality services to B.C. families.
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Framework for Enhancing Student Learning Communities of Practice Deferred Start Date
In response to sector feedback, the launch of the Framework for Enhancing Student Learning Communities of Practice (CoPs) will be delayed until October 2025. This will allow CoPs to align with the sector calendar, with sessions from October to June annually. District teams who registered for the 2025 CoP offerings will be contacted in September to confirm interest and participation in the noted CoPs. Please email EDUC.Framework@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions.
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Substance Use Resources Webinar
The Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research will be hosting an online webinar to present the refresh of iMinds, a collection of resources for educators related to substance use and gambling, as well as a way of teaching and thinking about health education. Please register in advance to attend the webinar on April 3, 2025, from 12:00 – 1:00 pm PDT.
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Deadline Extension – BC Learning Pathways: Foundational Learning Progressions Field Review
In response to feedback from the field, the deadline to review the draft K-4 Foundational Learning Progressions and Proficiency Profiles through the BC Learning Pathways project has been extended to April 18, 2025. Please email learningpathways@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions.
