School board suspends comment period at meetings

The Central Okanagan school board has decided to suspend the second public question/comment period at public board meetings to ensure a safe working environment for staff, students, and trustees.

It follows recent discriminatory comments made at board meetings and on social media.

The board also banned recording on personal devices during public meetings which will continue to be broadcast on Zoom.

District 23 says the suspension will continue until it completes a review of the policies covering school board meetings.

Meantime, riding the school bus in the Central Okanagan will cause families to dig deeper into their pockets.

The annual fee will be going up in the fall from $350 to $400.

The school district says it has not received more funding from the province, but its costs, such as fuel, continue to rise.