Vernon families who are struggling to provide for their children and their schooling are getting a financial boost.
The Vernon School District is receiving $260,000 from the B.C. Government, in an effort to help schools provide support directly to students.
“When our kids are supported in the classroom, our community is strengthened,” said Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Monashee. “I’m glad that our government is providing funding for schools to help pay for resources and extracurricular activities for students, so they can learn, play and grow and families can keep more money in their pockets.”
Funds distributed will help pay for student necessities, such as school supplies, school fees, class trips and various costs from joining sports or music programs.
The monies are from the Student and Family Affordability Fund, which is getting an additional $20 million. More than $60 million has been provided to school districts through the program over the past two years.
The Feeding Futures Fund, another provincial government program, has dedicated $214 million over three years to create and expand local school food programs.
“As a parent, I understand that extracurricular activities are important for children’s physical and mental well being, and help children to explore their hidden talents,” added Sandhu. “However, we know that some parents cannot afford to pay to enroll their children in extracurricular activities, therefore our government is stepping in to support.”
Throughout the 2023-24 school year, the Vernon School District has received $1,079,115 from the province for food programs.
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