BCASBO Briefing – September2026
BCASBO Briefing - September 2026
Member Updates, Sector Issues & Resources
Welcome to the September 2026 edition of the BCASBO Briefing. As the new school year gets underway, this issue looks back at progress made since the Summer Briefing and highlights upcoming professional learning, member resources, sector work, and opportunities for members to provide input.
President's Message
As school districts begin another busy year, BCASBO continues to focus on turning the priorities identified by the Executive Committee into practical value for members. Over the summer, work continued on professional learning, member resources, mentorship, committee and zone connections, and stronger relationships with Ministry and sector partners.
Members will see several of those priorities moving forward this fall. The Legal Professional Development Lunch & Learn Series begins in September, registration for the November Fall Conference is opening, and members are being asked to help shape a potential new online learning platform with Fair Chance Learning. BCASBO is also continuing work on the Leadership Series, practical governance and meeting resources, and new opportunities to support districts with enterprise risk management.
A strong Association depends on members sharing their experience, questions, and ideas. I encourage you to take advantage of the learning opportunities in this issue, provide feedback where requested, and continue using your Zone Directors and BCASBO representatives to raise issues that would benefit from a broader provincial conversation.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this work over the summer and who continues to support BCASBO's goal of connecting, developing, and representing school business officials across the province.
Executive Director's Report
Since the Summer Briefing, a significant amount of work has moved from discussion into development and implementation. Much of that work reflects priorities identified at the June Executive Committee transition meeting with the Ministry and our ongoing focus on strengthening member value.
The Association has launched the Member Resource Library, moved the new Legal Professional Development Series toward its first three sessions, continued development of the Knowledge Transfer Initiative with Eli Mina, and advanced the sector-wide budget reduction and revenue generation survey. Planning is getting underway for the November Fall Conference, with the first Planning Committee meeting scheduled for September 4.
We have continued to work with Ministry and sector partners to strengthen how BCASBO is represented in provincial discussions. Work is underway to develop a Ministry and Executive Committee responsibility matrix, confirm appropriate committee representation across key areas, and establish regular meetings and connections that will help ensure BCASBO’s expertise and district perspective are part of important sector conversations. This is an important objective in the Association’s strategic plan to reinforce and improve the relationship between BCASBO and the Ministry of Education and Child Care.
Professional learning remains a major area of focus. In addition to the legal series and Fall Conference, BCASBO is exploring a potential self-paced learning platform with Fair Chance Learning. Planning for Cohort 9 of the Leadership Series is underway with partial funding from the Ministry to continue the work from Cohort 8 on the Ministry’s Management Foundation Standards. Approval of the Ministry funding commits BCASBO to create reusable learning resources from Cohort 8 on the Ministry’s Brightspace platform. An invitation to register for Cohort 9 will be coming in September with a program start in January 2027.
There is more work ahead, but I am pleased with the progress being made across a wide range of initiatives. Thank you to the Executive Committee, Mallory, working-group members, presenters, sector partners, and members who continue to contribute their time and ideas.
BCASBO News
From Summer Priorities to Fall Progress
The Summer Briefing outlined several priorities connected to member value, professional learning, resources, leadership, zone support, committee reporting, and sector relationships. Over the past two months, a number of those areas have moved forward, as detailed throughout this Briefing.
- Member Resource Library: The online Member Resource Library is now live, with materials from the 2025 Fall Conference, Leadership Series Cohort 8, and the 2026 AGM & Conference available to members. Most presentation resources have now been collected and posted, along with guides from the Enterprise Risk Management Toolkit.
- Registration is now live for BCASBO’s fall Legal Professional Development Lunch & Learn Series. Three sessions have been confirmed for September and October, covering liability and risk management, workplace investigations, and contract law fundamentals. Additional fall topics and presenters are continuing to be coordinated.
- Member Learning Platform: BCASBO is exploring an optional self-paced, short-format online learning platform with Fair Chance Learning that could provide additional professional learning for members, other school business officials, and staff working in school districts.
- Budget Reduction and Revenue Generation Strategies Survey: the Executive Committee subcommittee continues to refine the sector-wide survey, with distribution now planned for mid-October.
- Knowledge Transfer Initiative: work has progressed from initial planning into development of a practical governance and meeting guide for Secretary-Treasurers. Working group members are contributing and reviewing resources on key areas with the content now being shaped into a practical toolkit.
- Zone and Committee Connections: Zone Directors have been contacted about administrative support, while provincial committee representation and Executive-Ministry relationship alignment continue to be reviewed.
Ministry & Sector Updates
BCASBO continues to engage with Ministry and sector partners on issues affecting school district operations, finance, capital planning, technology, human resources, and governance across the province.
Strengthening Ministry and Sector Connections
One of the priorities in the Association’s strategic plan discussed by the Executive Committee in June was to strengthen BCASBO’s connections with the Ministry and sector partners. Since then, meetings have taken place to review current committee and relationship structures, and work is underway to confirm representation across key Ministry areas and develop a clear responsibility matrix for the Association.
As this work progresses, BCASBO will also look at practical ways to share relevant information from these meetings and committees with members. The goal is to strengthen both BCASBO’s voice in sector discussions and the flow of useful information back to the broader membership.
Budget Reduction & Revenue Generation Strategies Survey
BCASBO’s Executive Committee subcommittee continues to work on the Budget Reduction & Revenue Generation Strategies Survey, which will gather practical examples of how districts are responding to budget pressures, including budget reductions, revenue-generation approaches, services that have been reduced or discontinued, and the resulting impacts on districts.
To allow members more time to participate following school start-up and year-end audit work, BCASBO is now aiming to distribute the survey in mid-October.
The information collected will help BCASBO build a clearer provincial picture of the strategies being used across the sector and support future resource-sharing and advocacy work.
Cybersecurity Retainer Program
BCASBO members should continue to be aware of the Focused Education Resources Cybersecurity Retainer Program. This program provides timely support for school districts in responding to cybersecurity breaches. Response time is of the essence when a breach occurs, and the retainer provides immediate district access to experts at Palo Alto. Initially established in 2024 at no cost to school districts for two years, BCASBO has been informed the retainer will still be free for districts in the 2026-2027 school year.
ERP Sector Interviews
Over the past several weeks, BCASBO has participated in interviews conducted by Focused Education Resources with consultants who responded to its Request for Supplier Qualifications (RFSQ) to provide readiness support for districts preparing to move their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to a procurement stage.
Focused Education Resources plans to engage three of the four consultants for this work. More information will be shared once the selections have been finalized.
Budget 2027 Consultation Report Released
The Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services has released its Report on the Budget 2027 Consultation.
BCASBO is listed as a consultation participant in Appendix A of the report. While BCASBO’s submission is not directly referenced, Recommendation 52 aligns with the issue raised in BCASBO’s written submission, calling on government to “revise the K-12 funding model to better reflect the actual costs incurred by school districts.”
This connects to BCASBO’s submission recommending that operating funding to school districts fully reflect annual inflationary costs so existing K-12 programs can be sustained in future years.
Assessment of Risk Controls (ARC)
Assessment of Risk Controls (ARC) is a Focused Education Resources cybersecurity initiative that helps districts baseline their security posture, develop a prioritized cyber risk plan, and create a realistic budget with full cost visibility.
The platform provides clear dashboards to help translate assessment results into a practical roadmap for budgeting and implementation. It also supports standardized, repeatable cybersecurity assessments and reporting designed specifically for K-12, including the development of a cyber risk register and opportunities for districts and Focused Education Resources to collaborate on shared high-priority initiatives.
The initiative was announced in February and, to date, approximately 40 districts have completed the assessment. Districts that have not yet participated are encouraged to request the questionnaire by emailing cybersecurity@focusedresources.ca.
Professional Learning & Events
Help Shape a Potential BCASBO Learning Platform
BCASBO is exploring an optional self-paced, short-format online learning platform with Fair Chance Learning that could provide additional professional learning for members, other school business officials, and staff working in school districts.
Many members participated this spring in the five-part AI Enablement series with Fair Chance Learning. The platform now being explored would go beyond that series and could offer role-relevant learning pathways in areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, security, compliance, and productivity and collaboration tools. There may also be opportunities to develop additional learning areas based on member and district needs.
No decision has been made, and the platform content and pricing have not been finalized. Before deciding whether to proceed, BCASBO wants to better understand which learning areas would be useful, which staff groups could benefit, and the likely level of interest across districts. The Executive Committee will consider the feedback at its October 1 meeting.
The interest form takes approximately four minutes to complete. Please respond by September 14, 2026.
Completing the form does not commit you or your district. Your feedback will help BCASBO determine whether this type of resource would be useful and, if so, how it could be shaped to best support members and other school district staff.
Ministry Lunch & Learn Webinar Series – 2026/27
The Ministry of Education and Child Care has confirmed its 2026/27 Lunch and Learn webinar schedule, with sessions covering topics such as operating grant eligibility, CEF reporting, compliance audits, funding, asset retirement obligations, and SOFI. Sessions are scheduled on Tuesdays from 12:00–1:00 p.m.
View the 2026/27 Ministry Lunch & Learn Schedule(opens in new tab)
Fall Conference Planning
The BCASBO Fall Professional Development Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver on November 24 and 25, 2026. Planning is getting underway, with the first Planning Committee meeting scheduled for September 4.
Program development is also underway, including consideration of professional learning opportunities in areas such as ethics and money laundering.
Registration, program, hotel information, and sponsorship details will be available through the Fall Conference page shortly.
Enterprise Risk Management Toolkit - Coaching Opportunity
BCASBO is moving forward with an Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) coaching initiative designed to help a medium (greater than 10,000 enrolment) and a small (Less than 10,000 enrolment) school district to put the Focused Education/BCASBO ERM Toolkit into practice within their own district context.
Beginning this fall, North Vancouver School District (SD44) and Okanagan Skaha School District (SD67) will participate in a year-long coaching program supported by BCASBO and delivered by Upside ERM Solutions. The program will run from September 2026 through June 2027 and will provide practical support as the participating districts work through an ERM cycle, including risk identification, assessment and mitigations, facilitated workshops, planning integration, reporting, and Board-level communication.
The initiative is intended not only to support the participating districts, but also to strengthen the ERM resources available across the sector. The selected districts have committed to highlight their experience from the coaching program at the Fall Conference in 2027.
Selected ERM Toolkit resources have also been added to the BCASBO Member Resource Library(opens in new tab) to make these tools easier for members to access and explore.
Legal Professional Development Lunch & Learn Series - Register Now
BCASBO’s new Legal Professional Development Lunch & Learn Series begins this fall, with approximately six virtual sessions being developed between September and December. The series will provide practical, learning-focused legal education for school district business officials and other district personnel.
These sessions are open to all school district staff, and BCASBO members are encouraged to share the registration links with colleagues in their districts who may be interested.
Three sessions have now been confirmed:
Liability and Risk Management for School District Business Officials
Thursday, September 24, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. | Teams
This session will focus on waivers and informed consent, with practical considerations tailored to BC school district representatives. Registration closes Friday, September 18 at 12:00 p.m.
Workplace Investigations
Tuesday, October 6, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. | Teams
Presented by Natasha Jategaonkar, Partner at Mathews Dinsdale & Clark LLP, this session will provide practical guidance on workplace investigations in the school district context, including considerations around process, documentation, confidentiality, and managing investigation-related risks. Registration closes Wednesday, September 30 at 12:00 p.m.
Contract Law Fundamentals
Tuesday, October 27, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. | Teams
Presented by Emmett Scrimshaw, Heath Law LLP, this session will provide an overview of contract law fundamentals in the school district context. The presentation will focus on practical considerations for school district business officials and other district personnel, including key elements of contracts, common issues to watch for, and considerations for managing contract-related risks. Registration closes Wednesday, October 21 at 12:00 p.m.
Additional fall topics are expected to include employment and labour law, administrative law and governance, and other legal issues relevant to K–12 operations. Additional dates, presenters, and registration details will be shared as they are confirmed.
Leadership Series Cohort 9 & Brightspace Development
BCASBO continues to move forward with planning for Cohort 9 of the Leadership Series. A funding request to the Ministry to continue the work from Cohort 8 on the Ministry’s Management Foundation Standards has been approved. Funding approval was contingent on BCASBO creating reusable learning resources from Cohort 8 on the Ministry’s Brightspace platform. Existing materials from Cohort 8 are being reviewed with the goal of developing organized learning modules, practical activities, case studies, tools and other resources that will be made available through Brightspace. Much of the Governance, Legislation, Roles and Responsibilities module of the Standards has already been uploaded to the Brightspace platform and is being reviewed.
Cohort 9 will also provide an opportunity to further refine and expand this content as new sessions are developed and delivered. Where appropriate, reusable learning materials and recorded content will become part of the Brightspace resource, creating a growing professional learning library for current and future BCASBO members.
More information on Cohort 9 and the Brightspace project will be shared as planning progresses. An invitation to register for Cohort 9 will be coming in September with a program start in January 2027.
Building for the future The goal is not only to support Cohort 9 participants, but to develop reusable professional learning resources that can support BCASBO members well beyond the cohort itself.
Knowledge Transfer Initiative: Building Practical Governance Resources
BCASBO’s Knowledge Transfer Initiative is continuing with Eli Mina and a working group of experienced school business officials, with the focus now firmly on developing a practical governance and meeting resource for Secretary-Treasurers and other senior district staff.
The group is bringing together existing BCASBO, sector, and governance resources with school-district context and School Act considerations. Content being developed and reviewed includes governance versus operations, Board and management responsibilities, trustee communication, bias and conflict, voting and decision-making, meeting procedures, in-camera meetings, minutes, the role and election of the Chair and Vice-Chair, and board dynamics following decisions.
Work has now moved into shaping these materials into practical tools members can use, including decision-making resources, scenarios, guidance documents, and other reference materials intended to support Secretary-Treasurers in navigating governance and Board processes.
The intention is for Secretary-Treasurers to have access to these new resources as they begin working with newly elected Boards following the fall elections, with the toolkit continuing to evolve as additional materials are refined and incorporated.
Member Resources
Reigniting Your Purpose - Presenter Follow-Up Survey
Michelle Taschereau of Atlas Brain Health has shared her presentation from the 2026 AGM & Conference for BCASBO's resource library and has also invited members to provide additional feedback through her Reigniting Your Purpose survey.
If you attended Michelle's session and have not yet completed the survey, please consider taking a few minutes to share your feedback.
Resource Spotlight: BC Civil Resolution Tribunal
For organizations dealing with lower-value contract, payment, or other civil disputes, the B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) may be a useful resource to be aware of. The CRT handles most small claims up to $5,000 through an online process and provides a free, anonymous Solution Explorer that can help users understand available options and access self-help information.
The CRT website includes information about small-claims jurisdiction, the application process, fees, forms, and published decisions. Members should confirm current requirements and consider their own district policies or legal advice before taking action on a specific matter.
Explore the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal
This resource is shared for general information only and is not legal advice.
Zone & Committee Connections
BCASBO continues to strengthen opportunities for members to connect, share information, and raise emerging issues across the province. Zone Directors have been offered administrative and meeting support, while work continues to confirm provincial committee representation and improve how relevant information is shared back with members. Member networks provide an opportunity to connect with colleagues, discuss emerging issues, and share district practices. Members are encouraged to get involved. The following networks are in place or are being developed
Risk Management Network
The BCASBO Risk Management Network provides an opportunity for school district staff to discuss emerging and recurring risks and learn how other districts are responding. Meetings are held virtually through Teams at 1:30 p.m. on September 22, October 20, January 19, February 16, April 20, and June 15.
To join, contact Ellen Bryden at ebryden@sd57.bc.ca.
Records Management Committee
Corien Becker presented on this at the 2025 Fall Conference and there was significant feedback from members to move this work forward. Corien is retiring at the end of September so the Association is asking for interested members to indicate their willingness to get involved. Please forward your interest to David at executivedirector@bcasbo.ca.
Finance Network
The BCASBO Finance Network provides an opportunity for school district finance leaders and professionals to connect with peers, share leading practices, discuss emerging financial issues, and collaborate on common challenges across the K-12 sector.
The network currently includes approximately 70 members, with 30–40 participants typically attending each meeting. Meetings are held virtually through Teams for one hour, up to five times per year, with topics including financial reporting, budgeting, audit matters, funding and grants, legislative and regulatory developments, and other emerging finance issues.
Meeting dates for 2026/27 will be confirmed and shared at a later date. If you are interested in participating and were not included in previous meetings, contact Iris Mo at iris_mo@sd42.ca.
Small Districts Network
The BCASBO Small Districts Network provides an opportunity for staff in the Association’s smaller school districts to discuss issues and concerns they are facing and learn how other districts are responding to similar challenges.
The network was organized by Gillian Leask, Secretary-Treasurer, SD84 Vancouver Island West, following the 2026 AGM & Conference and the Small Districts functional-area breakfast session. To date, three “Small District Coffee Breaks” have been held, with discussion notes shared with the Executive Committee for further consideration and possible direction.
Meetings are held virtually through Teams at 10:30 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month:
September 8 | October 13 | November 10 | December 8 | January 12 | February 9 | March 9 | April 13 | May 11 | June 8
To join, contact Gillian Leask at gleask@viw.sd84.bc.ca
Leadership Lens
Each issue of the BCASBO Briefing will include a short leadership reflection connected to the work of school business officials, Association priorities, and the changing environment districts are navigating.
Adaptability: Building the Muscle for Change
The Summer Briefing's Leadership Lens asked where leaders need to stay the course and where they need to adapt. A recent Forbes article takes that idea a step further, arguing that adaptability - not simply resilience - is becoming a critical modern leadership skill.
The distinction is useful. Resilience is often about absorbing disruption and recovering, while adaptability is about learning, adjusting, and finding a way forward when there may be no return to the old normal. For school business officials, that can mean responding to changing financial pressures, new technology, evolving Ministry expectations, workforce challenges, and increasingly complex operational demands.
One of the most practical ideas in the article is that adaptability can be developed. Leaders can deliberately introduce small changes, question familiar routines, focus teams on solving problems rather than simply completing established tasks, and create space to reconsider assumptions when new information emerges.
That does not mean changing direction for the sake of change. Strong leadership still requires stability, judgment, and follow-through. The opportunity is to build teams that can hold onto their purpose while remaining flexible about how they achieve it.
A question to consider:
What is one routine, assumption, or process you could change this fall to help your team become more adaptable?
Read: Why Adaptability, Not Resilience, Is Today's Key Leadership Skill (Forbes)(opens in new tab)
Coming Up / Action Items
- September 1: Ministry Lunch & Learn webinar on Eligibility of Students for Operating Grant Funding (Ordinarily Resident) Policy.
- By September 14: Complete the BCASBO Learning Platform Interest Form to help shape the potential Fair Chance Learning platform.
- By September 18 at 12:00 p.m.: Register for the first Legal Professional Development Lunch & Learn session.
- September 22: BCASBO Risk Management Network meeting. Members interested in joining can contact Ellen Bryden.
- September 24, 12:00–1:00 p.m.: Legal PD Lunch & Learn: Liability and Risk Management for School District Business Officials via Teams.
- By September 30 at 12:00 p.m.: Register for the October 6 Legal PD Lunch & Learn session on Workplace Investigations.
- October 6, 12:00–1:00 p.m.: Legal PD Lunch & Learn: Workplace Investigations via Teams.
- By October 21 at 12:00 p.m.: Register for the October 27 Legal PD Lunch & Learn session on Contract Law Fundamentals.
- October 27, 12:00–1:00 p.m.: Legal PD Lunch & Learn: Contract Law Fundamentals via Teams.
- Watch for the Budget Reduction & Revenue Generation Strategies Survey in mid-October and share your district’s experience when it launches.
- Register for the 2026 Fall Conference at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver on November 24 and 25.
- Watch for the Leadership Series Cohort 9 registration invitation in September, with the program expected to begin in January 2027.
- Visit the Member Resource Library and continue sharing ideas for practical templates, tools, checklists, and resources.
- Continue sharing emerging issues and professional learning needs through your Zone Director or directly with BCASBO.
For more information, visit www.bcasbo.ca or connect with BCASBO directly:
Executive Director
executivedirector@bcasbo.ca
Member Services Coordinator
mgosse@bcasbo.ca