BCASBO Briefing – October 2026
BCASBO Briefing - October 2026
Member Updates, Sector Issues & Resources
Welcome to the October 2026 edition of the BCASBO Briefing. This month’s issue highlights current Association priorities, upcoming professional learning, Ministry and sector updates, member contributions, and opportunities to stay informed, connected, and involved in BCASBO’s work.
In This Issue:
President’s Message | Executive Director’s Report | BCASBO News | Member Highlights | Ministry & Sector Updates | Around the Sector |Leadership Lens| Coming Up
President's Message
As we move further into the school year, BCASBO continues to focus on practical supports, professional learning, and strong connections across the sector.
This month’s Briefing highlights several upcoming opportunities for members, including professional development, Fall Conference planning, Leadership Series work, sector updates, and new ways to stay connected with colleagues across the province.
Thank you to everyone who continues to share ideas, participate in BCASBO initiatives, and help strengthen the Association’s work on behalf of members.
Executive Director's Report
October is shaping up to be another busy month for BCASBO, with several initiatives continuing to move forward across professional learning, sector engagement, and member support lines.
Planning for the Fall Conference continues with registration now open and with the program coming together. Our Legal Professional Development Series is underway and the planning work for Cohort 9 of the Leadership Series is progressing with an Expression of Interest for members to join. The development of resources from Cohort 8 for the Ministry’s Brightspace platform is moving ahead with Mallory taking the lead. We are also preparing to launch the Budget Reduction & Revenue Generation Strategies Survey later this month.
I will be representing BCASBO at the second annual Outdoor Learning Leadership Conference in Alberta at the end of the month. I’ll be joined by Scott Gay, the Executive Director for Saskatchewan ASBO and we will sit on a Policy, Operations and Risk Management breakout panel. There is increasing interest in outdoor learning as a contributor to better health for students and teachers.
The Executive Committee for 2026-2027 held its first meeting of the year on October 1, 2026 and several actions from that meeting are included in this edition of the BCASBO Briefing.
Thank you to the Executive Committee, Mallory, members, presenters, working groups, and sector partners who continue to contribute their time and expertise to this work.
BCASBO News
What’s Moving This Month
A number of BCASBO initiatives are moving into their next phase this October, with several opportunities for members to participate, provide input, and plan ahead.
Fall Conference Registration Now Open
Registration is now open for the 2026 BCASBO Fall Professional Development Conference, taking place November 24–25 at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver.
This year’s conference will bring members together for two days of professional learning, sector updates, and connection. The program includes plenary and breakout sessions, roundtable discussions, a CPABC ethics and anti-money laundering session, as well as opportunities to connect with colleagues and sector partners from across the province.
Visit the conference page to register, review program details, and book your hotel room.
Leadership Series Cohort 9
An Expression of Interest is now open for BCASBO’s Leadership Series Cohort 9, which is expected to begin in January 2027.
Building on the work of Cohort 8, the program will continue to focus on practical leadership development aligned with the Ministry’s Management Foundation Standards, with learning centred on areas such as working with people, governance and legislation, decision-making, financial and resource management, and planning for impact.
Members who may be interested in participating are encouraged to complete the Expression of Interest to help BCASBO gauge participation and support final planning for the cohort.
Budget Strategies Survey
BCASBO’s Budget Reduction & Revenue Generation Strategies Survey is being finalized for distribution in mid-October.
The survey will gather practical examples of how school districts are responding to budget pressures, including budget reductions, revenue-generation approaches, services that have been reduced or discontinued, and the impacts of those decisions.
The information collected will help BCASBO build a broader provincial picture of the strategies being used across the sector and support future resource-sharing and advocacy work.
WATCH FOR THE SURVEY
Legal Professional Development
BCASBO’s Legal Professional Development Lunch & Learn Series is now underway, with additional sessions continuing throughout the fall.
The first sessions were well attended and received very positive feedback, and upcoming sessions will continue to focus on practical legal topics relevant to school district business officials.
Members can visit the Legal Professional Development page for upcoming session details, presenters, dates, and registration links. Resources and materials from the series will also be added to the Member Resource Library so members can easily access them after each session.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Readiness
Focused Education Resources has established a three-year roster of consulting firms to support school districts with ERP readiness assessments and future planning.
The consultants can help districts better understand their current ERP environment, future requirements, organizational readiness, risks, and implementation considerations as modernization or replacement needs emerge across the sector.
Districts are encouraged to begin planning ahead for this work, including considering future ERP-related costs within restricted surplus planning.
Focused Education Resources will host an ERP Readiness Information Session on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, from 9:00–10:15 a.m. to provide more information about the work the selected consultants can support.
REGISTRATION LINK COMING SOON
Member Highlights
Recognizing BCASBO members who are sharing their expertise, supporting colleagues, and contributing across the education sector.
Kim Morris | School District 73 Kamloops-Thompson
Kim Morris, Secretary-Treasurer with School District 73 Kamloops-Thompson, will be presenting at the Education Facility Managers Association Fall Leadership Workshop on October 22.
Kim will present “Context Within the Sector,” a module in EFMA’s Leadership Program designed to support facilities staff who are new to their roles. The session provides an overview of sector structure, governance, and responsibilities, while highlighting the importance of strong, collaborative relationships between Facilities staff, Secretary-Treasurers, and Superintendents.
It’s a great example of BCASBO members sharing their experience and expertise to support leadership development across the broader education sector.
Member expertise in action: Supporting leadership development and stronger connections across the K–12 sector.
Ministry & Sector Updates
BCASBO continues to monitor Ministry and sector developments that may be relevant to school district business officials. Below are a few current updates, consultations, and reminders for members.
Around the Sector
Support Staff Bargaining Continues Across B.C.
BCPSEA reports that local support staff bargaining is continuing across the province. Seventeen local agreements had been fully ratified by mid-July, with bargaining at most remaining tables resuming in September. BCPSEA currently anticipates local bargaining will be completed across all tables by January 2027.
Metro Vancouver’s First Net-Zero-Emission School
École Snokomish Elementary in Surrey is being highlighted as Metro Vancouver’s first all-electric school. The project is expected to reduce emissions by 89% over 15 years and was supported through CleanBC funding and BC Hydro technical expertise.
Construction Begins on New Pitt Meadows Secondary
Construction has started on the replacement of Pitt Meadows Secondary. The new school will provide 1,100 seats and include a neighbourhood learning centre, Indigenous education space, theatre space and teaching kitchen, with opening expected in fall 2029.
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.
When Everything Feels Like a Priority
One of the challenges of leadership is that important work rarely arrives one item at a time. New initiatives, operational pressures, emerging issues, and everyday responsibilities can quickly begin competing for the same limited time and attention.
A recent Forbes article explores what happens when organizations continually add priorities without making deliberate choices about what should move down the list. The result can be teams that are extremely busy, but increasingly unclear about where their effort will have the greatest impact.
For school business leaders, prioritization does not necessarily mean doing less. It can mean being clearer about what needs attention now, what can wait, and what may no longer need to be done at all. That clarity also helps teams understand where they have permission to focus.
A question to consider:
What is one priority your team could clarify, defer, or let go of this fall to create more capacity for the work that matters most?
Coming Up / Action Items
- October 13: BCASBO Small Districts Network meeting at 10:30 a.m.
- Mid-October: Watch for the Budget Reduction & Revenue Generation Strategies Survey and share your district’s experience when it launches.
- October 20: BCASBO Risk Management Network meeting at 1:30 p.m.
- By October 21 at 12:00 p.m.: Register for the October 27 Legal PD Lunch & Learn on Contract Law Fundamentals.
- October 27, 12:00–1:00 p.m.: Legal PD Lunch & Learn – Contract Law Fundamentals via Teams.
- Complete the Leadership Series Cohort 9 Expression of Interest to help BCASBO gauge participation and support planning for the January 2027 launch.
- October 28, 9:00–10:15 a.m. — Focused Education Resources ERP Readiness Information Session.
- By October 31 — Complete or share The Dais national survey on K–12 school phone policies with interested colleagues in your district.
- Register for the 2026 Fall Professional Development Conference, November 24–25 at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver.
- Visit the Member Resource Library for presentations, tools, templates, and other professional learning resources.
- Continue sharing emerging issues, professional learning needs, and ideas 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