The Abbotsford school district is receiving $722,000 from the province to help families cover the extra costs of school activities or school supplies.
The funding was recently announced as part of $20 million through the Student and Family Affordability Fund for school districts across the province.
Funding will help pay for student necessities, such as school supplies, school fees and class trips, as well as additional costs associated with joining a school sports team or music program.
Abbotsford-Mission MLA Pam Alexis (NDP) said the money will “help ensure that all kids have the same learning opportunities in our schools.”
“When kids look back on the best parts of school, they often think of music class, sports teams, and field trips,” she said.
More than $60 million has been provided to school districts through this program over the past two years.
Alexis said this is on top of the largest investment in school food programs in the province’s history. The Feeding Futures Fund has dedicated $214 million over three years to create and expand local school food programs.
The Abbotsford school district received $2.24 million for food programs during the current school year.