An overview of discussion items and major decisions of the Board of Education of School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake). For meeting agendas/minutes and a schedule of upcoming board meetings visit sd8.bc.ca/meetings .
Assistant Superintendent Holitzki presented the 2024-2025 Caring and Inclusive Learning Communities Continuous Learning Report. The report focuses on strategies to enhance physical and mental well-being through social-emotional learning, fostering inclusive environments, and ensuring students feel safe and supported. Key initiatives include:
Superintendent Smillie and Assistant Superintendent Holitzki provided an update on SD8’s Accessibility Plan, developed in alignment with the Accessible British Columbia Act. The plan includes:
Trustees discussed ongoing accessibility improvements, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder engagement and continuous monitoring to enhance physical, informational, and technological accessibility across SD8.
Secretary-Treasurer MacArthur presented the annual IT report, outlining progress in improving technological access for students and staff. Key initiatives include:
Secretary-Treasurer MacArthur provided enrolment projections for the 2025-2026 school year, highlighting a forecasted decline in K-12 enrolments, partially offset by increased online learning registrations. The projected funding impact is estimated at a reduction of approximately $680,797.
Trustee remuneration will increase by 2.6%, in line with the BC Consumer Price Index.
Director Kerr provided an update on district capital projects, including:
All policies are available on the SD8 Board Policies and Administrative Procedures page. School calendars are available on our calendar page.
Policies approved:
Kootenay River Secondary (Student Trustee Ashe):
J.V. Humphries (Student Trustees Lamoureux & Zuk):
Mount Sentinel Secondary (Student Trustees Gretchen & Metcalf):
These highlights exclude confidential information such as business negotiations, personnel issues and legal matters. For other information or to provide feedback, please contact our Communications & Engagement Manager at 250-352-6681 or engagement@sd8.bc.ca
About School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake): Our mission is to inspire and support each learner to thrive in a caring learning environment. We are located in the southern Interior of British Columbia and serve numerous diverse communities in the Kootenays including Crawford Bay, Creston, Kaslo, Meadow Creek, Nelson, Salmo, Slocan, South Slocan, Winlaw, Wynndel, and Yahk. We also serve students across B.C. through our provincial online learning school, Elev8. Our dedicated team focuses on providing the best possible educational opportunities for about 4,700 students and their families.