‘Surrey students deserve better’: Parents and teachers launch campaign for more funds

Parents and teachers have launched a joint media campaign pushing for more education funding amid another round of cuts in Surrey.

A group of parents and teachers in Surrey, B.C., have launched a joint campaign requesting funding in the wake of severe cuts to the city’s education services.

The campaign was announced at the CUPE 728 office in Surrey by staff from the union for district support, the Surrey Teachers Association and the Surrey District Parents Advisory Council.

“This is a growing crisis in our public education system,” said Tammy Murphy, president of CUPE 728.

“Funding for education has not kept pace with inflation, population growth, and the rising needs of students.”

The goal is to encourage the public to petition for their MLAs to increase provincial funding to Surrey schools.

According to the Surrey Teachers Association, school districts across the province need another $3.8 billion to keep up with rapid population growth and student supports.

“Minister Bailey’s mandate is to improve the economy of B.C. How is she going to do that when she’s not investing in classrooms, in the education of today?” said STA president Lizanne Foster, in the wake of B.C. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey’s budget speech made in March.

In a statement to CTV News, the B.C. Ministry of Education and Childcare said the next school year, from 2025-2026, will be the ministry’s highest funding for districts in history.

Over $8.2 billion, including special grants, is going to districts, marking over 50 per cent more than 2016-2017 year, the ministry said.

The statement did not specify how much is allocated to Surrey specifically.

The ministry said the province has provided more than $1 billion in funding to the Surrey school district, more than any other district in the province.

“Tall people generally have bigger shoes, Surrey is the largest school district and of course we receive more funding, but it is the ministry’s own formula and it’s not adequate,” said Anne Whitmore, Surrey DPAC president.

Whitmore is also a parent and says she witnesses the challenges firsthand.

“I’ve watched a child who I love deeply struggle because the supports she needs simply aren’t there,” she said, holding back tears.

The group also hopes the district re-focuses their spending on supporting students, rather than management.

“At a time when classrooms are overcrowded and supports are vanishing, the district is expanding their administration teams,” said Murphy.

Gary Tymoschuk, the chair of the Surrey school district, says there is not much that can be done without more money from the province.

“We’re a growing district of course, but I am very proud of the fact that we have one of the lowest percentages of our budget that is allocated to administration or overhead.”

It comes as the district faces an anticipated $16 million budget shortfall for the 2025-26 school year. Last month, the district announced it will slash around 50 education assistant positions as a result.

Surrey DPAC has organized a rally for May 16, and plans to go to Victoria at the end of the month to fight for more funding from the province.