Schools across the Central Okanagan School District are confronted with ongoing challenges in securing approval and implementation of Parent Advisory Council initiated and funded projects, says a parent advocate. 

Cadre Simpson appeared before the Central Okanagan Board of Education earlier this month to highlight her frustrations with school enhancement project delays, specifically outdoor learning spaces including playgrounds, that generate PAC funding support and then become stalled. 

"We have a responsibility to honour fundraising undertaken by school communities and fulfill project goals," Simpson said in a report submitted to the trustees. 

"These are volunteers and community-based fundraising dollars made in good faith with the expectation of enhancing learning, including outdoor and nature-based play experiences for our students.

"Money, in many cases, currently being unused."

A long-time volunteer with a professional background in landscape architecture, Simpson told the trustees the importance of outdoor learning spaces can be readily measured by students. 

"Outdoor and nature-based play are critical components of our children's learning and growth. Childhood obesity, inactivity, increased screen time, along with the need for student understanding and appreciation of the natural world are essential reasons for working quickly to enhance outdoor spaces are school," she said. 

She said research has identified benefits of outdoor play: better physical, cognitive and social-emotional growth; encourage cooperative play, emotional resilience and creativity; boost focus, reduce stress and improve learning outcomes; and support environmental awareness and overall mental and physical well-being. 

Simpson highlighted two specific projects at different schools supported by parents which continue to linger without reaching completion.  

One was an outdoor learning space for Casorso Elementary.

In 2020, Simpson was part of a committee of parents, teachers, administration and the school's Indigenous liaison who came together to design and develop an outdoor learning and meeting space for students and staff. 

"We proceeded to engage with the parents and student community through surveys, open houses and fundraising efforts. We solicited donations from local businesses," Simpson explained. 

"We applied for a national grant, which was unsuccessful primarily because we had not yet had the enhancement agreement approved."

Simpson said she was a parent volunteer at Casorso for 11 years, and four of those years had her actively working on this project. 

Last year, the school had about $40,000 in unutilized funds but the project remains uncompleted. 

"A cursory survey of half a dozen schools report having over $140,000 in saved money, going unused. Imagine what that looks like across 45 schools?"

The second project she talked about was a proposal to upgrade the tennis courts at KLO Middle School. 

Parent volunteers reached out to the City of Kelowna, and city staff indicated interest in a partnership with the school district on the project, but were told by the school district that any grant money provided would not be utilized in the near term, ultimately preventing the project to proceed, she said.  

"Levels of government should work together to improve public lands, benefiting both students and the broader community," she said. 

Simpson is calling for a reduction of the bureaucratic red tape that hinders some of these parent-led school upgrade projects from proceeding and fundraised dollars towards them left in limbo. 

She is asking school trustees, district administrative staff and CUPE representatives to consider some procedural revisions for delivering projects initiated and funded by the school Parent Advisory Council community. 

Creative solutions, she said, should embrace transparency to the process and clarity to outstanding projects; revised approval models and project partnerships; leverage community expertise, donations and volunteer support to see projects completed; and a commitment to timely execution of outstanding projects. 

She also suggested taking more advantage of outside contractor and volunteer labour sources, and further collaboration working with municipalities.