Parent groups across the city were surprised in early September when the B.C. government left Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»schools off the initial list of schools getting playground grants.
The Office of the Premier announced it had $8 million over two years for new and replacement playgrounds. About $2 million was divvied up between 41 schools outside of Vancouver, which didn't have playgrounds. They were awarded $50,000 each. But as many as 160 schools may ultimately qualify for funding.
The government has since clarified how it will disburse the remaining cash. Schools that acquired playground equipment between Jan. 1 to Sept. 1, through contributions from parent groups will be reimbursed up to $50,000. For full playground replacement, districts will get up to $50,000 per qualifying school, while playground upgrades will qualify for $25,000 for each eligible school.
If funding remains after that, schools that districts prioritized as having minimal playground equipment or equipment that needs upgrading or replacement may be eligible for funding.
The ministry is finalizing the list of remaining schools that will receive funding and will be advising districts in coming weeks about when and how the money will be allocated.
Schools can use the money for installation costs, a practice that wasn't allowed through the gaming grant program. At the VSB's planning and facilities committee meeting on Tuesday, which took place after the Courier's deadline, staff recommended a motion that "the board approach the province for priority funding for playgrounds that have been or will be closed for safety reasons."
TECH TALK
The Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»School Board is pumping more money into technology proj-ects. It's paying $38,600 annually for a program called SchoolDude to manage maintenance work orders for its 110 schools. About 20,000 requests are submitted each year. The old paper method was deemed too inefficient to handle the amount of work required to maintain all the aging facilities. The VSB's maintenance operating budget is $13.7 million annually.
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