VICTORIA A high school in Comox and elementary school in Victoria are notifying parents of recent COVID-19 exposures. In Comox, a cluster of COVID-19 exposures have been reported at Highland Secondary. Over the past two weeks, potential exposures occurred from May 3 to May 7, and from May 10 to May 14. Island Health defines a COVID-19 cluster as two or more cases being linked to a school within the past 14 days. This is less severe than an outbreak, which is described as widespread transmission within a school community. Meanwhile, the Greater Victoria School District says that a COVID-19 exposure occurred at Oaklands Elementary on May 10 and 11.
VICTORIA The Greater Victoria School District has postponed a decision on its 2021/22 budget after hundreds of people protested the school district s proposed budget cuts over the weekend. The school district board was originally scheduled to vote on the budget on Monday evening. The proposed budget planned to make cuts to the school district s middle school music programs, counsellors, educational assistants, clerical staff and food programs to offset for the school district s estimated $7 million deficit for the coming year. The school district says that the deficit is a result of the pandemic, and notes that school districts in B.C. are required to run a balanced budget each year.
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Many people in the crowd are expected to play their musical instruments. Planned speakers at the district offices include Indigenous music teacher Alana Johnson; Cindy Romphf, president of the Greater Victoria Music Educators’ Association; Jane Massey of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 947; and Winona Waldron, president of the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association. The school district budget is set for approval on Monday. District secretary-treasurer Kim Morris said the district has tried to be responsive to some of the feedback it has been getting throughout the budgeting process. The plan is to start the next budget process earlier so there is more time for input, said Morris, noting tough decisions had to be made to deal with a $7-million deficit in a $253-million budget.
VANCOUVER Hundreds of students and their families lined a busy Victoria street Saturday to take a final stand against proposed cuts to the local school district s budget. The protesters gathered along Douglas Street, carrying signs and playing instruments for passing traffic. Many drivers honked their horns in support of the demonstrators, who are calling on the Greater Victoria School District s Board of Education to reject its proposed budget at its upcoming meeting. We’re trying to take a stand here to have the vote go a different way and not approve the proposed budget on Monday and make significant amendments, said Winona Waldron, president of the Greater Victoria Teachers Association and one of the people protesting Saturday.