VINTA

Vancouver Island North Teachers' Association SD #85

The VINTA Office is located in the former office of

Robert Scott Elementary in Port Hardy, BC
6855 Market St.
Port Hardy, BC V0N 2P0

Phone: (250) 902-0088
Shawn's Email: lp85@bctf.ca
Admin's Email: vinta.assist@gmail.com
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5151
Port Hardy, B.C. V0N 2P0

NEWS
A $1.1 million budget shortfall has put School District 85 (Vancouver Island North) in a difficult position, with trustees considering deep cuts—including the closure of Cheslakees Elementary School in Port McNeill.

With no surplus funds left to rely on, the District is preparing a 2025–2026 budget that could impact a wide range of student supports, including classroom resources, field trips, school supplies, counselling time, and support staff hours. The closure of Cheslakees Elementary, a primary school serving the youngest students in the region, is one of the cost-saving measures the Board has agreed upon.

“The government hasn’t increased funding to match inflation or the growing needs in our schools,” said Shawn Gough, President of the Vancouver Island North Teachers’ Association (VINTA). “Now boards are forced to pass budgets that technically meet government requirements but fail to meet the needs of students and staff.”

Gough quotes his colleague from Qualicum referring to the situation as “Functional Budget Dystopia,” where the numbers may balance but essential supports fall through the cracks. “Trustees are having to make impossible choices—between infrastructure, school supplies, staffing, and the very existence of a school,” he said.

While provincial officials point to record spending on education, Gough says this is misleading. “That increase is tied to rising enrollment across the province, not increased support for individual districts. In reality, the share of the provincial budget going to education has declined over the last 25 years.”

Teachers are calling on the Board to speak out and advocate for increased funding. “We’ve asked trustees to write to the Education Minister and we’re continuing to push for action through the BC Teachers’ Federation and our MLA,” Gough said. “But so far, government doesn’t seem to be listening.”