Armstrong Elementary School PAC believes in open, respectful dialogue with school district leadership to support transparency and accountability. Communications with School District 83 K̓wsaltktnéws ne Secwepemcúl’ecw (SD83), including letters, questions, responses, and updates on official requests, are published here to support transparency.
AES PAC and SD83
According to the BC School Act, PACs are legally recognized as advisory bodies to the school, principal, and school district. PACs have the right to raise concerns, ask questions, and make recommendations about school matters that affect students. This page ensures our communications are:
- Public and accessible
- Clearly documented
- Shared with the school community
- Aligned with our values of openness, equality, and student well-being
We share correspondence here so parents can stay informed, ask follow-up questions, and participate in the process. These records include letters and submissions sent to the Superintendent and Board of Education, as well as formal requests for information such as questions about school funding or district staffing policies. We also post copies of PAC statements delivered at board meetings by trustees on behalf of the PAC. If the district sends any replies, we share those here too.
All parents and guardians at Armstrong Elementary are encouraged to take part in this process. If you’d like to help, there are many ways to get involved. You can share your thoughts or personal experiences to be included in a PAC letter, suggest concerns or questions for the district, or help us draft and review written communications. The public is also welcome to attend school district board meetings.
School District 83 K̓wsaltktnéws ne Secwepemcúl’ecw
Leadership of SD83 consists of:
- Board of Education (the “School Board”) – see school board contact info
- Senior Leadership Team (the “District SLT”) – see senior leadership team contact info
The SD83 Board of Education holds monthly board meetings during the school year for a total of 10 school board meetings annually. Board meetings are typically held on the third Tuesday of every month at 6:00 PM at the District Education Support Centre (341 Shuswap Street SW, Salmon Arm).
Board Meetings are open to the public to join in-person or via livestream. The board meets privately in a closed meeting before each public meeting, with the private meeting starting at 4:00 PM in the same location.
Official Communications Log
This log lists official communications in reverse chronological order. This log does not include informal conversations, online forum discussions (such as the PAC Facebook Group or Community Facebook Page), or other casual channels of communication. Summaries below are intended to provide a concise record of the date, type of communication, and topics raised.
April 2026
Wednesday, April 01, 2026 – DPAC Roundtable Evening Event at AES Library
Type: In-person meeting with SD83 staff, DPAC, and local PAC representatives
Topics: Communication guidelines, inclusive education funding, general PAC operating procedures
Summary: SD83 DPAC hosted a Roundtable Evening at Armstrong Elementary on April 1. District staff, school administrators, and DPAC representatives joined parents for discussion about communication, inclusive education, school safety, PAC roles, and parent advocacy.
Morgan Turland, DPAC President, reviewed the district communication pathway and encouraged parents to start concerns with the person closest to the issue, then move to the principal, then the appropriate school lead if needed. She also reminded families that DPAC wants to hear from parents and can help support advocacy.
Donna Kriger, Superintendent, spoke about a new district administrative procedure on respectful communication with staff. She said the draft is still moving through review and will go out for public feedback before it is finalized. She also said a related piece of work is underway on expectations for how district staff communicate with one another and with the public. Donna noted that the district communication guide is nearing release and said she will send the link to AES PAC when it is available.
Chelsea Prince, Assistant Superintendent for Indigenous Education and Student Support, gave an overview of inclusive education in SD83. She explained ministry designations, the current funding model, how student support funding is allocated, and the role of school-based and district-based supports. She also reviewed how IEPs work, clarified that students need a ministry designation to have an IEP, and noted that many supports can still be provided without an IEP through inclusive classroom practice and universal supports.
There was strong parent discussion about belonging, school-level resources, autism funding, and the challenges families face navigating assessments and support. District staff acknowledged these concerns and said they are monitoring broader provincial changes closely.
July 2025
Thursday, July 17, 2025 – Follow-up emails after FOI meeting at SD83 Board Office
Type: Follow-up email exchange between AES PAC and SD83 after an in-person records meeting.
Topics: Production of school-level student designation data, production of school-level FTE staffing data, production of general ledger data by school, timelines for older records, timeline waivers, fee waivers, and a proposed late-August check-in before the new school year.
Summary: SD83 confirmed agreement with the meeting recap and proposed a late-August check-in. AES PAC summarized a shared understanding that some records could be produced sooner, while older records may require more time. AES PAC also proposed mutually extending timelines and waiving fees while the work continued.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 – AES PAC response to June 30 FOI/FIPPA letters
Type: Email letter from AES PAC to the SD83 Senior Leadership Team and Board of Education.
Topics: Student support following the principal reassignment, request to revisit the principal transfer decision, request for a consultation policy for major administrative decisions, school-by-school spending data, Unique Geographic Factor funding, allocation of counseling and support programs, FTE staffing by school, enrollment data by school, records timelines, fee estimate, public interest fee waiver, phased disclosure, and proactive publication of school-level data.
Summary: AES PAC responded to the district’s June 30 extension and fee estimate letters. The letter restated PAC concerns, clarified the records sought, requested immediate release of any records that could be produced without delay, and asked the district to reconsider or waive the fee estimate.
Saturday, July 5, 2025 – Initial AES PAC response to SD83 FOI/FIPPA fee estimate
Type: External inquiry by AES PAC regarding next steps on the district’s fee estimate.
Topics: Fee waiver, records delay, timing of records release, and options for disputing the fee estimate while seeking timely access to records.
Summary: AES PAC sought guidance on how to respond to the district’s fee estimate and whether paying a deposit would affect the timing of access to records while a fee dispute was underway.
June 2025
Monday, June 30, 2025 – FOI/FIPPA response letters from SD83 to AES PAC
Type: Two formal response letters from SD83.
Topics: School-level financial data for the past 10 years, upcoming budget figures, student enrollment totals by school, FTE staffing tables by school, time extension, fee estimate, deposit requirement, and options to narrow the request or seek review.
Summary: SD83 issued one letter extending the response deadline to August 13, 2025, and a second letter estimating a $1,560 fee, with a $780 deposit required before further work would proceed.
Thursday, June 12, 2025 – Notice of appeal under School Act section 11
Type: Formal notice of appeal submitted by AES PAC.
Topics: Appeal filing, prior correspondence, and routing of the appeal to the Acting Secretary-Treasurer and Board of Education.
Summary: AES PAC submitted a completed notice of appeal and copied the board email address to help confirm delivery.
Wednesday, June 4, 2025 – Follow-up email from AES PAC to SD83
Type: Follow-up email from AES PAC to the Superintendent, trustee, and district leadership.
Topics: Additional counseling and support for students, review of the principal transfer decision, consultation policy for future decisions, district responses about the principal reassignment, school-level resource transparency, timeline for records, appeal options, and possible further review avenues.
Summary: AES PAC followed up on the May 20 letter and May 21 email. The PAC asked for updates on requested actions, clarification on available appeal processes, and a timeframe for providing school-level resource information.
May 2025
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 – AES PAC clarification email to SD83
Type: Follow-up email from AES PAC.
Topics: Clarification that only anonymized numerical data was requested, 10 years of school-level fiscal data, budgeted and actual figures, current and upcoming budget allocations, student enrollment totals by school, FTE staffing by school and role, and a request for public posting of school-level budget information.
Summary: AES PAC clarified the scope of its data request and encouraged SD83 to publish school-level budget information on its website.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 – Acknowledgment email from SD83 Superintendent
Type: Acknowledgment email from the Superintendent of Schools.
Topics: Receipt of AES PAC correspondence and internal review with district staff.
Summary: The Superintendent confirmed receipt of the PAC’s correspondence and stated that it would be reviewed with the district team.
Tuesday, May 20, 2025 – SD83 regular school board meeting
Type: Public board meeting attended by AES parents.
Topics: Delivery of the AES PAC open letter during the in-camera portion of the meeting, whether the open letter was acknowledged during the public meeting, trustee comments about rural representation, public question period access, and a public question about school budget breakdowns and per-school allocations.
Summary: AES parents attended the board meeting in person and online. The PAC’s open letter had been delivered earlier that day. During public question period, a question was asked about whether school budget breakdowns could be viewed by school. District leadership described the budget formula used, but no commitment was made at the meeting to publish school-by-school budget data.
Tuesday, May 20, 2025 – Meeting with trustee for Armstrong-Spallumcheen
Type: In-person meeting between AES PAC representatives and Trustee Tennile Lachmuth.
Topics: Principal reassignment, student well-being, consultation, school-level funding transparency, school staffing and support resources, and next steps through district and ministry channels.
Summary: AES PAC presented its open letter and discussed parent concerns. The trustee agreed to deliver the letter to SD83 leadership and discussed possible next steps.
Tuesday, May 20, 2025 – Open letter from AES PAC to SD83
Type: Formal open letter delivered to SD83 trustees and senior leadership.
Topics: Additional counseling and support for students, request to revisit the principal reassignment decision, request for a consultation policy for significant administrative decisions, school-level spending per student, use of Unique Geographic Factor funding, allocation of counseling and support programs, concerns about principal turnover, concerns about school-level staffing changes, concerns about Armstrong-area resource allocation, historical context for Armstrong schools, and a request for clearer public reporting on school-level resources.
Summary: AES PAC submitted a formal open letter setting out concerns and six requested actions related to student support, consultation, and transparency in district resource allocation.
Thursday, May 15, 2025 – Email exchange between AES PAC and trustee
Type: Initial email exchange between AES PAC and Trustee Tennile Lachmuth.
Topics: Principal reassignment, student emotional impact, need for support for students, parent concerns about being heard, perceived differences between Armstrong and Salmon Arm, trustee role in principal assignment decisions, and arranging a meeting.
Summary: AES PAC requested a meeting with the trustee to discuss the recent principal reassignment and its impact on students and families. The trustee replied, offered to meet, and explained the board’s limited role in principal placement decisions.
March 2025
Wednesday, March 5, 2025 – PAC request to AES principal to submit feedback to SD83
Type: PAC request made through the AES principal.
Topics: District communication during the school garden construction project, fence placement changes, impact on the garden layout, project delays, added parent planning work, and the need for collaborative communication during school-based capital projects involving PAC funding and volunteers.
Summary: At the March PAC meeting, concerns were raised about district communication during the AES garden project. The principal agreed to pass this feedback to SD83.