Meeting: AES PAC FOI Meeting with School District 83 Senior Leadership Team
Date: Thursday, July 17
Time: 11:00 AM–12:35 PM
Location: Mabel Lake Room, SD83 District Office, 341 Shuswap St SW, Salmon Arm
Meeting Led By: Donna Kriger (SD83 Superintendent)
Attendees:
Donna Kriger (SD83 Superintendent)
Jeremy Hunt (SD83 Director of Finance, Acting Secretary-Treasurer)
Jordi Fraser (AES PAC Parent)
Morgan Turland (DPAC President)
Melissa (DPAC Secretary-Treasurer)
Michelle (AES PAC Advocacy Director)
Pamela Rennie (AES PAC DPAC Representative)
Erin Harvey (AES PAC Parent)
MJ Duford (AES PAC Garden Director)
Welcome and introductions
Donna welcomed the group and clarified the intent of the meeting: to discuss parental concerns about transparency, particularly related to staffing and finances, as well as district senior leadership concerns. Attendees introduced themselves and their roles.
Context for recent principal reassignment
Donna explained the timeline and rationale behind Principal Val Edgell’s reassignment. A key factor was an unexpected retirement of another administrator, triggering a cascading staffing reorganization. Donna emphasized that decisions were made collaboratively within the district’s leadership team and involved conversations with Val.
Staffing allocations and flexibility
Jeremy outlined the use of a Ministry-approved staffing formula, explaining that while the formula determines initial staffing, adjustments are made based on school-specific needs. He acknowledged that the district had worked to fulfill requests for additional support staff (like CEAs) but must balance finite resources. Staffing remains fluid throughout the school year.
Parental concerns about transparency
PAC members expressed frustration over lack of communication regarding staffing changes and decisions that impact students directly. Michelle, Jordi, and Pamela highlighted concerns over trust, lack of proactive notice, and the perception that some schools in the district receive preferential treatment. Donna responded that the district’s Senior Leadership Team is committed to improving transparency.
Financial records and FOI request discussion
Jeremy explained the complexities of producing historical financial records, citing outdated software, staff turnover, and under-resourcing in the finance department. He committed to beginning with data that is easiest to access (recent years and year-end summaries) and to work progressively toward fulfilling the full FOI request. Jeremy committed to full transparency sharing data, and that full transparency of financial data was his preference.
Challenges in compiling historical data
Jeremy explained that financial and staffing records are fragmented due to system changes and different record-keeping methodologies of previous finance staff. While the data should be eventually retrievable, accessing and extracting it will take time. He committed to prioritizing transparency and agreed to meet the request in good faith.
Communication breakdown
Multiple PAC members shared how previous unanswered communications and perceived avoidance damaged trust. Donna acknowledged past shortcomings in communication and emphasized the need to rebuild confidence. The group agreed that future collaboration should include regular updates, open lines of communication, and clear documentation. Donna stated that she will work to improve her relationship with AES and with Armstrong schools in general.
Trust building
PAC representatives requested:
- Transparent processes for staffing changes
- Inclusion in planning conversations that affect the school community
- Consistent timelines and documentation for financial reporting
- A clear point of contact for follow-ups
Donna agreed to these principles and emphasized the importance of mutual trust.
Discussion on advocacy and systemic issues
The group discussed systemic funding shortfalls in BC and the need for coordinated advocacy to the Ministry of Education. Morgan from DPAC offered to support district-wide advocacy efforts. Donna acknowledged the value of unified advocacy and committed to helping facilitate broader conversations. Members of AES PAC stated their interest in future broader district-wide advocacy once localized AES/Armstrong issues have been adequately addressed.
Action items and commitments
- Jeremy (SD83 SLT) committed to providing all requested data and confirmed that the previously stated $1,560 FOI/FIPPA fee would be waived, provided that AES PAC agreed to extend the data delivery timeline to accommodate his current workload. Jeremy and Michelle (AES PAC) will work together to create a timeline.
- Jeremy will provide the PAC with initial financial data sets starting with the most recent and complete records.
- The district will outline its internal staffing decision process to help PACs understand constraints and criteria.
- Donna and her team will improve communication channels with PACs and schools, ensuring better notice and transparency.
- DPAC and PAC leaders will coordinate to advocate for additional district resources and systemic funding.
Next steps
- Michelle (AES PAC) will put together write-up of mutual understanding and send it to Jeremy (SD83 SLT) for review and mutual agreement. This will include regular communication protocols and waivers of fees/timelines.
- Jeremy will provide the AES PAC with piecemeal data starting with the easiest data to pull. Initial financial data (annual GL spreadsheets) will be shared by the end of next week.
- Follow-up meeting to be scheduled after data delivery.
Closing
Donna thanked the group for their constructive tone and commitment to collaboration. The meeting ended with agreement on the importance of student-centered decision-making and starting to build public trust in the school district.
Meeting Minutes by ChatGPT