--- title: "Classrooms, Programs and the Budget: the TEAM for a Livable Vancouver plan | Vancouver 2026 | voche.me" canonical_url: "https://voche.me/parties/team-for-a-livable-vancouver/2026-platform/school-board/classrooms-programs-and-budget" last_updated: "2026-10-10T04:00:49.515Z" meta: description: "TEAM for a Livable Vancouver says its School Board would move money from administration to classrooms, bring back elementary band and strings, teach every..." "og:description": "TEAM for a Livable Vancouver says its School Board would move money from administration to classrooms, bring back elementary band and strings, teach every..." "og:title": "Classrooms, Programs and the Budget: the TEAM for a Livable Vancouver plan | Vancouver 2026" "twitter:description": "TEAM for a Livable Vancouver says its School Board would move money from administration to classrooms, bring back elementary band and strings, teach every..." "twitter:title": "Classrooms, Programs and the Budget: the TEAM for a Livable Vancouver plan | Vancouver 2026" --- ** TEAM for a Livable Vancouver · Vancouver 2026 # TEAM on classrooms: music in every school, swimming for all and a Copilot pause TEAM for a Livable Vancouver says its School Board would move money from administration to classrooms, bring back elementary band and strings, teach every child to swim, pause Microsoft Copilot 13+ in secondary schools and ask the Province to keep more Vancouver school taxes. All 9 commitments [Read the party's own page ](https://www.voteteam.ca/our-positions-home-2026/schools-2026/schools-learn-more) [**14**Candidates](https://voche.me/parties/team-for-a-livable-vancouver/candidates) [**10/10**Issues with published policy](https://voche.me/parties/team-for-a-livable-vancouver/platform) [**27**Sources on file](https://voche.me/parties/team-for-a-livable-vancouver/money) **9**Questions answered SCHOOL BOARD ## Classrooms, Programs and the Budget: what the Our Positions says TEAM for a Livable Vancouver says the School Board has grown its administration while student results fell and parents were not heard. The party's answer is to direct a larger share of money to classrooms, look again at how much senior management has grown compared with classroom spending, and bring back meaningful public input into a transparent budget process. Programs make up most of this chapter. TEAM would bring back the Elementary Band and Strings programs so every elementary school has music, and offer more alternative, applied skills and dual credit courses, which count toward both high school and post-secondary credit. It would set inclusion policies and measure whether they work. It would pause the rollout of Microsoft Copilot 13+, an AI assistant, in secondary schools until research shows the benefits outweigh the risks and families and teachers have been consulted. TEAM's swimming promise aims for 100% of Vancouver children to learn to swim; the party says 50% now cannot. It would run an integrated swimming and lifeguard program with qualified agencies and make community pools easier to reach. On money, it would negotiate with the Province to keep more of the school taxes collected in Vancouver for local schools. Trustees set the district budget and decide programs, so most of these items are School Board decisions. The amount of school tax kept in Vancouver and the provincial funding formula are set by the Province, so on those the board can only negotiate. THE PARTY'S NUMBERS ## Figures in this chapter **100%** Share of Vancouver children TEAM wants to learn to swim The party's figure **50%** Share of Vancouver children the party says currently cannot swim The party's figure 9 COMMITMENTS ## What the party says it would do 1. ### Redirect money from administration to classrooms TEAM would make the best use of limited financial resources by directing a greater proportion to classroom learning. Its summary page says it would redirect financial resources from administration to classrooms.

Who has the power: School Board The School Board approves the district budget.
Source: TEAM schools, learn more

2. ### Review the growth of senior management The party would examine the need for the expansion of senior management relative to spending directly in classrooms.

Who has the power: School Board The School Board hires district senior staff and sets their budget.
Source: TEAM schools, learn more

3. ### Public input into a transparent budget TEAM would return to the practice of meaningful public input into a transparent budgeting process.

Who has the power: School Board The School Board sets its own budget process.
Source: TEAM schools, learn more

4. ### Keep more Vancouver school taxes for local schools The party would negotiate with the Province to keep more of the school taxes collected in Vancouver for local schools, which it says are underfunded. It says city school taxes now go into provincial general revenue, so Vancouver subsidizes the rest of the province.

Who has the power: Province The provincial funding formula is set by the Province, so the board can only negotiate.
Source: TEAM schools, learn more

5. ### Pause Microsoft Copilot 13+ in secondary schools TEAM would pause the rollout of Microsoft Copilot 13+ in secondary schools until research shows the benefits outweigh the risks, and students, families and educators have been meaningfully consulted.

Who has the power: School Board The School Board decides which digital tools its schools use.
Source: TEAM schools, learn more

6. ### Swimming and lifeguard training for every child The party would provide an integrated swimming and lifeguard training program so 100% of Vancouver children can learn to swim. It says 50% currently cannot. TEAM would provide the training with qualified agencies, offer more easily reached community-based pools, and link community centres and schools to focus on early learning for young children.

Who has the power: City, with others The School Board runs school programs, while pools and swimming lessons are run by the Park Board.
Source: TEAM schools, learn more

7. ### Inclusion policies with measured outcomes TEAM would implement inclusion policies and measure their outcomes to make sure they work.

Who has the power: School Board The School Board sets district policies for student support.
Source: TEAM schools, learn more

8. ### Music in every elementary school The party would include music programming at every elementary school, bringing back the Elementary Band and Strings programs.

Who has the power: School Board The School Board decides which programs its schools offer, within its budget.
Source: TEAM schools, learn more

9. ### Pathways for students to pursue their passions TEAM would provide pathways for students to find and pursue their passions, with more focus on alternative, applied skills and dual credit programs, which count for both high school and post-secondary credit. It says learners across the academic range need both support and challenge.

Who has the power: School Board The School Board decides which programs its schools offer.
Source: TEAM schools, learn more

WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT ## Where the power sits for this chapter School Board7 City, with others1 Province1 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ## Questions about classrooms, programs and the budget

Would TEAM for a Livable Vancouver bring back band and strings?

Yes. TEAM for a Livable Vancouver says it would include music at every elementary school by bringing back the Elementary Band and Strings programs (TEAM Schools page).

What does TEAM say about Microsoft Copilot in Vancouver schools?

TEAM says it would pause the rollout of Microsoft Copilot 13+ in secondary schools until research shows the benefits outweigh the risks and students, families and educators have been meaningfully consulted (TEAM Schools page).

Would TEAM teach every Vancouver child to swim?

TEAM for a Livable Vancouver says it would run an integrated swimming and lifeguard training program so 100% of children learn to swim, saying 50% currently cannot. Pools are run by the Park Board, so the two boards would have to work together (TEAM Schools page).

How would TEAM change the Vancouver School Board budget?

TEAM says it would direct a greater share of money to classrooms, examine the growth of senior management compared with classroom spending, and bring back meaningful public input into a transparent budget process (TEAM Schools page).

What does TEAM want from the Province on school taxes?

TEAM for a Livable Vancouver says it would negotiate with the Province to keep more school taxes collected in Vancouver for local schools. The party says those taxes now go into provincial general revenue, so Vancouver subsidizes the rest of the province (TEAM Schools page).

Can the Vancouver School Board decide its own programs?

Yes. The Board of Education runs Vancouver public schools and approves the district budget, so trustees could act on music, inclusion and course offerings. Teacher pay and the funding formula are set by the Province (TEAM Schools page).

ON THE BALLOT ## The TEAM for a Livable Vancouver candidates behind this ### School Board [322**Kat Nystedt**Ballot 322](https://voche.me/candidates/kat-nystedt) ## Sources Every commitment on this page comes from the party's own material, marked SAYS SO ITSELF. It proves what the party says it would do. Who holds each power is our own addition, from the sources listed after it. 1. [TEAM schools, learn more ](https://www.voteteam.ca/our-positions-home-2026/schools-2026/schools-learn-more)SAYS SO ITSELFTEAM for a Livable Vancouver · checked September 22, 2026 ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.