Elected school trustees representing BC’s boards of education and more than 550,000 students across the province debate, vote and pass motions shaping BCSTA’s advocacy agenda
[Vancouver, April 16, 2026] — The British Columbia School Trustees Association (BCSTA) convened its 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM), bringing together elected school trustees, education leaders, government partners, and sector organizations from across British Columbia for three days of professional development, governance, and advocacy. At the heart of the event: the democratic business sessions where trustees representing the province’s boards of education debated and passed motions that will drive BCSTA’s advocacy to government and the public on behalf of BC’s students and communities.
“I want to revisit what truly guides me in this work. It is not a policy, a budget line, or a strategic priority. It is our students. Our work — every motion we debate, every difficult decision we make — exists in service of our students. The challenges ahead are real, but they are not bigger than our commitment to one another and the children we represent. Let’s leave this AGM ready to return to our communities with renewed energy and clear in our commitment: that every student in British Columbia deserves a public education system that is stable, well-funded, and deeply rooted in their success.”
— Tracy Loffler, President, BCSTA, and School Trustee, Mission School District
Trustees Vote on Advocacy Priorities for BC’s Public Education System
The business sessions served as the democratic core of the AGM, where school trustees debated critical challenges facing BC’s public education system and voted on motions that will guide BCSTA’s advocacy to government. The following motions were passed:
- Trades pathways and data collection – advocate to the provincial government to create a cross-ministry database to enhance reporting, student tracking, and funding structures for public school students pursuing trades training in the workforce
- Labour relations – create a resource to support boards of education in building respectful relationships with labour unions
- Trades training funding — reinstate funding for graduated students under the age of 19 continuing the second year of their trades training program with school districts
- Active Transportation Safety — advocate for improved safety on provincial roads, outside municipal boundaries, to support safe student travel to and from school
- Provincial Assessment — review and improve provincial student assessment frameworks
- Inclusive Child Care — expand inclusive child care for eligible children and youth with support needs up to the age of 18
- Emergency Anaphylaxis Preparedness — strengthen emergency preparedness for anaphylaxis in BC schools
- Arts Education — emphasize and properly fund arts education to ensure equitable access for all students
- Dual Credit Programs — expand and properly fund academic dual credit programs accessible to every student in BC, including pathways for students pursuing teaching certification
- Preservice Teacher Education — strengthen preservice teacher education in literacy, numeracy, and inclusive instruction
- ERASE Program — inclusion of ableism in BC’s Expect Respect & A Safe Education (ERASE) program
- Student Loan Forgiveness — expand Canada Student Loan forgiveness to include educational assistants, and establish provincial loan forgiveness with a focus on rural and remote areas
- Early Learning — develop a sustainable provincial framework for early learning services delivered through public school districts
- School District Housing — dedicated provincial funding for school district housing accommodations
- Before and After School Care — capital policy changes to expand before and after school care capacity in new construction and existing spaces
- Student and Family Affordability Fund — to reinstate the Student and Family Affordability Fund
- English Language Learning (ELL) — increase funding-eligible years for ELL students
- Public School Funding — cessation of public funding for independent schools
- Modular Construction — review of modular plan and costing, and to apply the same area standards to modular buildings as in standard school constructions
- School Replacement — revise and expand the school replacement ranking criteria
These motions reflect trustee priorities and their commitment to a well-funded, equitable, and inclusive public education system for the province’s 550,000+ students
Professional Development: Equipping Trustees to Lead
The AGM featured comprehensive professional development with diverse sessions covering the full scope of effective governance in today’s environment, including:
- Education outcomes for Indigenous learners — presented by the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care and the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC)
- School safety and emergency management — BC Ministry of Education and Child Care
- Cyber Security: A live ransomware crisis simulation — facilitated by AGM sponsor Fortinet
- Governing Through an Election — guidance for trustees navigating governance during an election year
- Media training: Owning the Message — facilitated by Navigator Ltd.
- Feeding the People, Raising the Next Generation — exploring Indigenous foods and child development with storyteller Jared “Qwustenuxun” Williams
- Board Communications and BCSTA’s Trustee Learning program
- School Act 101: The Key Work of Trustees — facilitated by Harris & Company LLP
School board chairs sharpened their decision-making skills through a dedicated interactive session, working through high-pressure governance scenarios together. A plenary session on board policy development followed, facilitated by members of the Board Policy Review Advisory Committee, where trustees explored best practices and tools for reviewing and modernizing their policy manuals.
The most meaningful part of the AGM was honouring lifetime members (20 years of service) and trustees who have dedicated 12 and 16 years to BC’s K–12 public education system at the Trustee Long Service Recognition Ceremony — a meaningful acknowledgment of the lasting impact long-serving trustees have made in their local communities.
Minister of Education Addresses Trustees
The Honourable Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care, opened day two of the AGM, thanking trustees for their dedication and recognizing those who will not be seeking re-election in October 2026.
“This is important work, and I cannot thank you enough for helping to make a difference.” Minister Beare also issued a call to future candidates in the upcoming trustee elections: “We need strong advocates for public education. The community needs your voices.”
— Hon. Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care
Olympic Champion Clara Hughes Delivers Keynote on Mental Health
Olympic champion and mental health advocate Clara Hughes served as the AGM’s keynote speaker. Hughes spoke to the critical importance of mental health support for students, emphasizing that allowing someone to be seen, heard, and believed creates space for real change, drawing on the message she hears from athletes that resonates equally in schools: “I did not do it alone.”
To trustees, she said: “Thank you so much for the heavy lifting you do in education.”
— Clara Hughes
The BCSTA extends its thanks to the school trustees from across British Columbia who came together at the 2026 AGM to learn, connect, and advocate for students. Their dedication to public education and professional excellence continues to make a difference in local communities across the province.
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About BCSTA
The British Columbia School Trustees Association (BCSTA) represents and supports the boards of education that govern British Columbia’s public schools, serving over 550,000 students. BCSTA supports over 400 trustees through professional development, legal counsel, and communications, while acting as the strong, unified voice for boards in advocating to government, education partners, and the public on matters affecting public education.
Media Contact:
Monique Atwal – Manager of Advocacy and Public Relations
Email: matwal@bcsta.org
Phone: 604-842-1167