2026/27 Board of Education Budget Survey

Introduction

The Board of Education for the Cowichan Valley School District is asking for your input into the 2026/27 annual budget priorities.

Our budget funds all aspects of the school system, and is allocated in ways that support students through ‘Beyond Education’ Strategic Plan 2025 – 2030. As a result of feedback during the creation of ‘Beyond Education’, and other budget cycles, the Board has continued to invest in supports to ensure student achievement in foundational literacy and numeracy skills within the district, continued building and opening new Before and After School Care and Child Care Centres, and recently opened the new Quw'utsun Secondary School, among many other initiatives. This new budget cycle provides an important opportunity for members of the community to directly impact the budget over the next year.

Explore ‘Beyond Education’ Strategic Plan 2025 – 2030.

Our budget is funded, like every school district in the province, by the Ministry of Education and Child Care through a fixed amount per student. This means our budget can vary depending on enrolment and various other factors. It is this per-student funding, and some other minor revenues, that we build our budget on.

Your responses to this survey will help the Board identify priorities for the 2026/27 budget. The results of the survey will be shared with the Board of Education and the community at large during the budget process.

Please complete the survey by Sunday, February 22nd.

2026/27 BUDGET GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The Board of Education’s budget is the financial plan that ensures all learners in the Cowichan Valley School District are prepared for a world they will create. Through the budget, the Board makes sure that the Strategic Plan priorities are funded. The budget also communicates how the district uses its funding and how it allows for detailed, and public, reporting on spending.

Guiding Principles for Budget Development:

· Budget decisions must align with the priorities of ‘Beyond Education’ Strategic Plan 2025 - 2030;
· Is developed as a mechanism to aid in Reconciliation;

· Intentionally targets funds towards resources aimed at increasing Indigenous student graduation rates;
· Is developed on the principles of equity;
· Must be developed in a transparent process and must include public and partner input through communication, consultation and reporting back;
· Accounts for economic uncertainties;
· Complies with the School Act, collective agreements and other regulatory requirements and Board policy;
· Considers multi-year implications of decisions;
· Balances short-term and long-term priorities;
· Maintains appropriate contingency balance.

1.What best describes your connection to the school district? (You can check more than one box if it's applicable)

Other (please specify)

2.Please take a moment to choose one to two objectives you believe we should focus on this year under the Learning priority.

Learning

Learning Priority from Strategic Plan 2025 - 2030:

Foster a deep commitment to learning through authentic, hands-on, evidence-informed experiences which focus on foundational skills and core competencies while providing opportunities for voice and choice for all learners.

Continue to invest in supports for programs like our Trades, Applied Design Skills and Technology that are hands-on learning.
(From Strategic Plan: Foster a deep commitment to learning through hands-on experiences)

Increase the number of field trips, outdoor learning and hands-on learning opportunities across the District.
(From Strategic Plan: Hands-on learning experiences)

Prioritize supports and resources for learners with disabilities and diverse abilities.
(From Strategic Plan: Provide opportunities for voice and choice for all learners)

Increase supports and resources that target literacy skills.
(From Strategic Plan: Focus on foundational skills and core competencies)

Increase supports and resources that target numeracy skills.
(From Strategic Plan: Focus on foundational skills and core competencies)

Is there anything else you believe the Board needs to know or consider as a Learning priority as they develop the 2026/27 budget?

3.Please take a moment to choose one to two objectives you believe we should focus on this year under the Indigenous Ways of Knowing priority.

Indigenous Ways of Knowing

Nuts'a' maat shqwaluwun kw tst yaayus - (Working together with One heart, One mind, One thought)

‘Beyond Education’ our Strategic Plan 2025 – 2030 calls for us to prioritize equity by deepening our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation in collaboration with rights holders and local community.

Continue to look at ourselves and our organization to ensure we are acknowledging the past and are creating learning spaces where all feel welcome.
(From Strategic Plan: Deepen our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation)

Continue to work to ensure that every learner feels safe at school and can learn in a way that is true to their own history and culture.
(From Strategic Plan: Collaborate with rights holders and local community)

Continue to work to promote learning opportunities for Indigenous learners that enhance opportunities and support students to meet graduation requirements.
(From Strategic Plan: Prioritize equity)

Continue to provide experiential hands-on and land-based opportunities for students to participate in local traditional cultural experiences and teachings from Elders and in community.
(From Strategic Plan: Hands-on experiences)

Continue to provide opportunities for our teachers to learn about Indigenous Ways of Knowing to build their knowledge and increase their confidence.

Is there anything else you believe the Board needs to know or consider as an Indigenous Way of Knowing priority as they develop the 2026/27 budget?

4.Please take a moment to choose one to two objectives you believe we should focus on this year under the Individual and Collective Well-Being priority.

Individual and Collective Well-Being

‘Beyond Education’ our Strategic Plan 2025 – 2030 calls for us to promote resiliency and personal responsibility to nurture an overall healthy community.

Continue to create and promote safe and inclusive learning environments for our diverse community.

Continue to work to ensure programs and community partnerships that enhance mental health are supported.
(From Strategic Plan: Nurture an overall healthy community)

Continue to work to promote resiliency and personal responsibility for staff and students' well-being.
(From Strategic Plan: Promote resiliency and personal responsibility)

Continue to provide leadership and community-building opportunities for students (DSAC, Student parliament, etc.)
(From Strategic Plan: Promote personal responsibility)

Provide opportunities for students and staff that focus on individual and collective well-being.
(From Strategic Plan: Nurture an overall healthy community)

Continue to support food programs for students.
(From Strategic Plan: Nurture an overall healthy community)

Is there anything else you believe the Board needs to know or consider as an Individual and Collective Well-Being priority as they develop the 2026/27 budget?

5.Please take a moment to choose one to two objectives you believe we should focus on this year under the Caring for Place priority.

Caring for Place

‘Beyond Education’ our Strategic Plan 2025 – 2030 calls for us to restore the relationship with the land that compels us to move forward in a more ecologically balanced way.

Continue to work on our relationship with the local natural world through teachings based in local Indigenous knowledge and culture.
(From Strategic Plan: Restore the relationship with the land)

Continue to support climate action projects at schools that teach learners about sustainable practices.
(From Strategic Plan: Move forward in an ecologically balanced way)

Continue to seek ways to reduce the environmental impacts of our schools and transportation (greenhouse gas emissions, water conservation, permaculture, native plantings).
(From Strategic Plan: Restore the relationship with the land)

Is there anything else you believe the Board needs to know or consider as a Caring or Place priority as they develop the 2026/27 budget?