Regular Board Meeting: May 26, 2026
The Regular Meeting of the Langley Board of Education was held in-person and streamed online.
To view the agenda, visit the Board Meeting webpage here.
Announcements
National AccessAbility Week
Board Chair Candy Ashdown made an announcement regarding National AccessAbility Week which takes place May 31 to June 6, 2026.
She further explained how the week invites all of us, including governments, businesses, organizations, and individuals, to take action to advance a barrier-free country. Significant progress has been made to eliminate and prevent barriers, and by continuing to work together, we can build a truly accessible, inclusive and equitable Canada.
This year’s theme is "Building a Strong, Accessible Canada."
She shared how the District’s Accessibility Committee works to celebrate the valuable contributions and leadership of people with disabilities, the work of allies, organizations and communities that are removing barriers, and ongoing efforts to become a more accessible and inclusive community.
She closed her remarks by saying that the District values the strengths and contributions of all and will continue to work towards an inclusive and nurturing culture.
She noted that the District is spotlighting the facilities and maintenance department and their work in helping remove barriers to make our District a stronger and more accessible place for all.
The video above will begin on this agenda item.
Delegations
E-Scooter Safety
Community member, Resha Sabti, addressed the Board on the topic of e-scooter Safety. She is a parent and resident in Langley and is concerned about e-scooters. She says she has researched and has seen an increase in e-scooter accidents with children and youth. She remarked that Langley is part of a pilot project regarding e-scooters. She said she has concerns with the pilot in that it does not include public education, has unmatched infrastructure, has unclear rules, enables e-scooters to be used by youth, and has a timeline of 4 years. She says she has been working with the Langley RCMP on getting data and learning about the rules. She claims the focus of the rules has not been focussed on riders under 16.
She shared a screen with materials (posters) that were created by the Langley RCMP. She is proposing that there is more education needed and that these can be used. She shared a suggestion on what the Langley School District can do in help educate students, actions such as raising awareness in schools, putting up posters, and messaging to families through newsletters and beyond.
The video above will begin on this agenda item.
Secretary-Treasurer Reports
2026-2027 Annual Budget Bylaw (First and Second Reading)
Brian Iseli, Secretary-Treasurer, presented the 2026-2027 Annual Budget to the Board. He reminded trustees that they are required to adopt an annual budget on or before June 30. He presented the annual budget format with various funding sources. He gave an overview of various budget assumptions for the next school year. Some examples include an increase in student enrolment 429.753 FTE, and a projected total of 970 FTE for ISP students. Larger expenses costing the District include benefit changes and salary increases for teachers moving up the grid. The District’s budget bylaw is $429,622,056 for the 2026-2027 school year.
Iseli provided breakdowns in numbers for the following financial categories: Operating Funds, Revenues, Grants, Tuition Revenue, Operating Expenses by Source. In regard to operating expenses, he outlined increasing costs related to increasing teacher increments. He noted some reductions, including FTE (positions) in instructional services and learning support services, and career education. He noted some budget decreases due to principals and vice-principals. A difference this year is in regard to the Project Black Feather program, the costs for which are now being carried by the District as there are no funds from the federal government. He noted an increase in education assistants and substitute costs and a decrease in support staff and other professional roles.
Iseli listed all of the increases and decreases in supplies as part of the budget, including the changes in the ERP system licensing, lower usage in natural gas, among other items. Iseli listed the various special-purpose funds received by the District.
To close the presentation, Iseli explained the process moving forward, which includes first and second reading at tonight’s meeting, and third reading at the next Regular Board Meeting on June 16. He also announced the District is hosting a Budget Open House for the public on June 2, 2026.
Recommendation: That the School District No. 35 (Langley) Annual Budget Bylaw for fiscal year 2026/27 in the amount of $429,622,056 be given first reading.
Recommendation: That the School District No. 35 (Langley) Annual Budget Bylaw for fiscal year 2026/27 in the amount of $429,622,056 be given second reading.
The Board approved the above motions. The video above will begin on this agenda item.
Trustee Election Bylaw
Secretary-Treasurer Brian Iseli provided an overview on the bylaw that is required of every District for an election. He noted that there were some changes. The main change to note is that election information (candidate nomination documents and campaign financial disclosure statements) is required to be posted on the District website.
Recommendation: That the School District No. 35 (Langley) Trustee Election Bylaw No. 2026-01 be given first reading.
Recommendation: That the School District No. 35 (Langley) Trustee Election Bylaw No. 2026-01 be given second reading.
Recommendation: That the Board of Education of School District No. 35 (Langley) approves having all three readings of the Trustee Election Bylaw No. 2026-01 at tonight’s meeting.
Recommendation: That the School District No. 35 (Langley) Trustee Election Bylaw No. 2026-01 be given third reading, passed and adopted on this 26th day of May, 2026.
The Board approved the above motions. The video above will begin on this agenda item.
Superintendent's Reports
National AccessAbility Week
Director of Learning Support Services Linda Pollastretti provided an overview of the work of the District’s Accessibility Committee. She outlined the background of the committee and how it was started to comply with requirements of the Accessible BC Act. There are 8 members in the committee, many of whom live with a disability. The committee which has been in place for a few years, works to create strategic initiatives and priority actions including to monitor, evaluate, and celebrate accessibility. Pollastretti explained this year’s focus is to strengthen accountability by identifying accessibility. During National AccessAbiliy Week, the committee and department, is incorporating all elements of the District’s Accessibility Plan and Model UDL (Universal Design for Learning).
She said the target for National AccessAbility Week is for a learner to learn about inclusivity and accessibility by exploring experiences. The District is providing a choice board for schools to use to help engage and educate students. She showed the choice board and went over all of the options available, including inclusive lessons, accessibility games and activities, and guest speakers, among other suggestions.
To promote our work, this year the District is celebrating the work of Facilities and Maintenance. Pollastretti went over a list of projects that were completed around the District including structures at playgrounds like bucket swings, communications boards, accessible surfaces, equipment such as an all-around (merry go around), accessible teeter-totter, and the sport court at H.D. Stafford Middle School. Other accessible features include modified washrooms, front entrance doorways, and ramps. Sensory rooms are also features for accessability. She noted that some of these accomplishments would be highlighted through stories on the District’s social media channels as part of National AccessAbility Week.
Recommendation: That the Board of Education receives the report on National AccessAbility Week for information, as presented.
The report was approved as presented. The video will begin above the agenda item.
Transitions Through the Langley School District
Assistant Superintendent Lisa Lainchbury, Assistant Superintendent Marcello Moino, and District Principal of Early Learning Charlene Redekop provided a presentation to the Board focused on the transitions that students experience in the Langley School District.
Lainchbury provided examples of transition events that happen throughout the year. At Donna Gabriel Robins Elementary, the staff host an oral storytelling evening, which aimed to engage with current and future students. At H.D. Stafford Middle School, the staff host a transition day for incoming students. She made note of the District’s STEM event for girls, at which girls from schools all over the district worked together to solve a problem. At the secondary level, there are many career education related programs available, including the Early Childhood Education dual-credit program. These transition events help to fulfill the District’s purpose is to inspire all learners to reach their full potential and make a positive legacy for the future. She explained it is about meeting the District’s FESL goals, Strategic Plans, and fulfilling Ensouling our Schools initiatives, while creating compassionate and inclusive social and academic learning communities. The District’s transition work starts with early learning, when a student is pre-Kindergarten.
District Principal of Early Learning Charlene Redekop explained the goal of her department is to support the successful transition of all children as they enter the school system. She noted that families play an important role in the early years. Early childhood programs at the District include StrongStart, JB4, Kindergarten Welcome, and Seamless K. Other District outreach to families include StrongStart gatherings, Child Day, and Parent Nights.
Assistant Superintendent Marcello Moino shared the District’s collaborative learning intentions for the Ensouling our Schools initiative. He went over the implementation of goals for the system. He then shared the District’s six-year completion rates, noting increases to 97 percent. He talked about the learning intentions in action in all schools. The District is fine tuning interventions at the secondary level and focusing on the following: attendance, enhanced grad plans, and belonging plans, alternative secondary, building staff capacity, and PowerBi. The District works to support students and their pathways at secondary. He went over various career education programs available to help support successful transitions. He ended his presentation by sharing a photo of the Golden Eagles (grads from the Aboriginal Education Program) from the Aboriginal Achievement Awards.
Recommendation: That the Board of Education receives the report on Transitions Through the Langley School District for information, as provided.
The report was approved as presented. The video will begin above the agenda item.