Public invited to submit ideas through February

SD8 is renewing its strategic plan and wants the public to share their ideas.

The plan will set the mission, vision, goals and priorities for the Board of Education and staff for the next five years from 2024 through 2029. The Board of Education invites anyone with an interest in education to share ideas, vote for ideas they like, ask questions, comment or complete a survey on their new engagement site, engage.sd8.bc.ca.  

“This is the first strategic plan our newly elected Board of Education will develop together, and hearing from staff, students, families, Indigenous partners, other education partners and communities is key to making sure we are headed in the best direction possible for our students,” said SD8 Board Chair Lenora Trenaman.

The strategic plan must reflect SD8's mandate for public education set by the Government of British Columbia and the Ministry of Education and Child Care. SD8 is seeking ideas to support their mandate to ensure student success, teaching and learning, Reconciliation, sound school operations and a balanced budget.

“The strategic plan will serve as a road map to ensure all partners in K-12 education work together so that all learners are enabled to develop their individual potential and acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be successful,” said Chair Trenaman.

In each phase of the engagement, SD8 will use a variety of online and face to face methods to keep partners informed, listen to and acknowledge concerns and aspirations, and provide feedback on how partner input influenced the strategic plan.

This public phase of the engagement process will remain open through February, with further phases and opportunities to review the draft strategic plan continuing through spring 2023.

About School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake):

School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) provides educational services to numerous diverse communities in the East & West Kootenays, including Crawford Bay, Creston, Kaslo, Meadow Creek, Nelson, Salmo, Slocan, South Slocan, Winlaw, Wynndel and Yahk. Its dedicated team focuses on providing the best possible educational opportunities for over 4,700 students and their families. Its mission is to focus on excellence for all learners in a nurturing environment.