Parents advisory councils at seven Saanich Peninsula schools within the Saanich School District (SD63) will receive $59,800 in community gaming grants for extra-curricular activities.
The funds are much needed given that the ongoing pandemic has severely limited the ability of parent advisory councils (PACs) to raise funds to support school programs, said Andrea Sinclair, president of the B.C. Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils.
“Parents are grateful that community gaming grants will be distributed to PACs throughout the province, thereby ensuring that the students’ experience at their school will continue to be enhanced while reducing the burden on families,” she said in a release.
On the Peninsula, Stelly’s Secondary School PAC received the highest amount with $15,080, followed by Keating Home and School Association PAC with $9,020. Parkland Parents’ Association ($8,840), Kelset School PAC (7,560), North Saanich Middle School PAC ($6,820), Brentwood Bay Elementary PAC ($6,380) and Deep Cove School PAC ($6,100) round out the list of recipients.
The grant program will distribute almost $11 million across PACs and district PACs in B.C. for the 2021-22 school year.
The provincial grants also provide funding to arts and culture groups, sports, environment, public safety, human and social services. Overall, the program distributes as much as $140 million in gaming revenue to 5,000 organizations in B.C.
RELATED: B.C. gaming grants reorganized for COVID-19 priorities
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article quoted incorrect dollar figures, which the provincial government had provided through a press release. A spokesperson later informed Black Press Media that a sorting error had mismatched the figures and their recipients. We apologize for the error and any confusion it may have caused.
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