To the editor:
Last week, the provincial government announced $28.5 million in funding for School District 23 to build Mar Jok Elementary School in West Kelowna and an expansion to Okanagan Mission Secondary School in Kelowna.
As one of the school district’s seven school trustees, I would like to personally thank our hardworking MLAs who represent us in the B.C. legislature: Steve Thomson (Kelowna-Mission), Norm Letnick (Kelowna-Lake Country) and Ben Stewart (Westside-Kelowna)—for their support and role in securing this funding.
It would not have been possible without their commitment and advocacy work in Victoria.
These two capital projects will result in 760 new student spaces for our ever-growing school district and will hopefully include Neighbourhood Learning Centres after discussions with the District of West Kelowna and the City of Kelowna conclude.
This additional space will promote community interaction and increase community access at times when Mar Jok and OKM are not typically in session.
Mar Jok Elementary and OKM’s expansion is good news for students.
The school district will be able to better support student learning by helping us alleviate pressures on our infrastructure in two areas that are experiencing tremendous growth.
It will also help your school trustees continue to develop the school district’s long-term facility plan.
We also cannot understate the importance of these projects to job creation within our community.
This is important as the Central Okanagan continues to thrive and grow. As a community leader, it is exciting that local businesses will be involved in and benefit from these projects.
This kind of government support does not happen without the hard work and leadership of elected officials. It reinforces the importance of choosing thoughtful and engaged leaders who understand and advocate for our needs and priorities to represent us in government at all levels.
Thank you to our MLAs for their part in securing the necessary resources to strengthen education in our school district.
Chris Gorman,
Central Okanagan school trustee
