The Burnaby board of education closed its 2025–26 meeting cycle with a series of operational approvals that aim to expand childcare capacity inside schools and preserve the district’s ability to collect school site acquisition funds from developers.
Childcare push targets two school sites
At the June meeting, board trustees approved a motion to include child-care related items in the district’s 2026–27 capital plan, to be submitted to the provincial Ministry of Infrastructure. The package requests provincial support to create before-and-after-school childcare spaces at two Burnaby school sites.
According to the secretary treasurer, Ishver Khunguray, changes to capital-plan rules now allow school districts in B.C. to apply for funding to repurpose existing school space for childcare programs. "
Funding is available for schools to repurpose existing space," Khunguray told the board, noting the district has identified two sites with community need and available capacity in their buildings.
| Project | New spaces requested | Capital plan amount |
|---|---|---|
| Confederation Park | 20 | $222,000 (total for both projects) |
| Marian Child Care Centre | 17 |
The district report notes the Ministry of Infrastructure has set aside $5 million in childcare capital funding to assist with renovations and repurposing existing school building space, aimed at covering start-up costs for new programs.
Developer funds and school land acquisition
Trustees also authorised the City of Burnaby to continue collecting school site acquisition charges on the district’s behalf. Under an annually required bylaw, the city collects school site acquisition charges (SSACs) from proposed new residential developments and remits the funds to the school district’s land capital fund, which is restricted to purchasing land for school use.
Khunguray framed the annual bylaw as a routine but important administrative step: "
A bylaw is required annually for the district to be able to collect school site acquisition charge funds from the City of Burnaby," he said, adding that the funds are directed into a restricted account for land purchases.
What this means for Burnaby families and neighbourhoods
- More childcare capacity: If approved and funded by the province, the two projects would create 37 additional before-and-after-school spaces, easing pressure on families who need care outside school hours.
- Faster starts for new programs: The provincial capital funding is intended to help with startup costs — potentially lowering the financial barrier to launching childcare at already-built school sites.
- Land-buying power preserved: Continuing the SSAC arrangement ensures the district can accumulate restricted funds for future school site acquisitions as the city grows.
The board also adopted its 2026 meeting schedule and approved a school site acquisition bylaw as part of the procedural items that end the school year. The capital-plan submission and the SSAC bylaw position the district to both expand services within existing buildings and to plan for future growth through land purchases.
For Burnaby residents, the next steps will hinge on provincial approval of the childcare capital submissions and on how quickly the district can convert identified spaces into licensed programs. Trustees have put forward projects that rely on repurposing existing rooms rather than building new wings — a strategy that can be quicker and less costly, but still requires renovations, staffing and licensing before spaces are ready to serve families.
Board documents filed for the June meeting confirm the district’s intent to pursue those provincial funds and to continue its collaboration with the City of Burnaby on developer-collected funds for future school-site needs.
