Cowichan Valley School District

09/08/2026

Please be advised of the following route DELAY today:
PM ROUTE: 25
We expect the route to be DELAYED for approximately
15-20 minutes.

09/08/2026

Please be advised of the following route DELAYS today:
PM ROUTE: 06A and 12A
We expect the route to be DELAYED for approximately 15-20 minutes.

09/04/2026

Heading back to school can be such an exciting time. Sometimes, though, the unknown of a new school year can cause anxiety. Thank to Island Health for these great tips on on easing back-to-school anxiety.

09/04/2026

Public Education Matters!

BC School Trustee Elections are happening on October 17 and the nomination period is open now until September 11. If you are considering running in this upcoming election, the BC British Columbia School Trustees Association have some wonderful resources for your campaign on their website.

Cowichan Valley-specific resources can be found on sd79.bc.ca. Nomination packages can be downloaded from the website or you can make an appointment to pick it up in person and ask all your questions, by emailing [email protected] .

If you're putting your name forward, thank you, you truly matter to public education. Thank you for being passionate about student success and locally-elected, democratic school boards.

Information on local candidates will be posted here after nominations close on September 11.

📢 🗞️ BC Children Need You: BCSTA Calls on Community Leaders to Run for School Trustee

Every decision about how a local school handles a tight budget, a full classroom, or student resources begins with school trustees. As British Columbians prepare to head to the polls on Saturday, October 17, 2026, to vote for their community's next trustee, the BCSTA is calling on passionate, community-minded residents across the province to put their names forward for one of the most consequential and least understood roles in local government.

"Being a school trustee is one of the most rewarding roles you can take on in your community. Every decision you make has a direct impact on students, on the quality of their education, the safety of their schools, and the opportunities available to them. Trustees are often unseen champions of public education, and this work truly matters." — Carolyn Broady, Past President of BCSTA and School Trustee, West Vancouver Schools

🔗 Read the full media release to learn more: https://bit.ly/4geo9QS
🔗 Thinking about running? BCSTA has resources to help you get started 👉 bcsta.org/elections
🗓️ Nomination Period (BC-wide): September 1 – September 11, 2026

09/02/2026

We're hiring for a Director of Operations, a key member of the Senior Leadership Team!

The Director of Operations provides leadership and operational oversight in areas of administration of district properties, facilities planning, maintenance and repair, construction and renovations, student transportation, custodial services, grounds maintenance and management of energy conservation programs. Responsibilities include providing strategic and technical guidance to senior staff in the development of long-range planning and budget planning for all operations departments.

The Director works collaboratively with a wide range of internal and external constituents to develop long and short-range plans prioritizing facilities projects and infrastructure upgrades to ensure a safe, efficient environment for students, district personnel and administrators.

See the full job description at sd79.bc.ca/employment under Management and Excluded

Position open until filled.

09/02/2026

‘Uy’ skweyul, Bonjour, Good day, Families and Caregivers,

On behalf of the Board of Education for the Cowichan Valley School District, it is my pleasure to welcome students and families to the 2026/27 school year in the Cowichan Valley School District.

This time of year is always exciting. For some, this new school year will be the one that ends with a graduation celebration. For others, it will be the first time parents and caregivers say goodbye in the morning as their little ones head to kindergarten. Whether you’re at one end of this journey or the other, or somewhere in between, please know that we are committed to helping every student find success during their time in our schools.

While school sites have been a little quieter in the summer, our Operations staff and the district staff that support them continued to be hard at work. There are so many things that happen behind the scenes to make sure schools are ready to welcome everyone in September and we a grateful to our staff who work hard at this. As we have come closer to the first days of school, Principals, Vice-Principals, teachers and all the other school staff have been preparing for students’ return and are looking forward to welcoming everyone back to a new school year.

There is much to celebrate as we start the new school year. There are several new programs that we are rolling out this year including place-based learning, technology certificate program and trades training in partnership with VIU. Our trades training program keeps local students learning in our own community and benefits our own businesses. We are excited to support students in these new ways.

We hope that all students and families are as excited about the new year as we are, and we wish you the very best in the 2026/27 school year.

Huy ch q’u, Merci, Thank you,

Cathy Schmidt,
Chair of the Board of Education for the Cowichan Valley School District

Board of Education for the Cowichan Valley School District
Elizabeth Croft, Vice-Chair
Randy Doman, Trustee
Cindy Lise, Trustee
Eduardo Sousa, Trustee
Jen Strachan, Trustee
Joe Thorne, Trustee

09/01/2026

The Board of Education for the Cowichan Valley School District is celebrating with students and staff after district literacy rates showed a double-digit jump last year.

A change in teaching and assessment approaches over the last number of years has resulted inGrade 4 literacy rates improving 12.6% and Grade 7 rates increasing by 10.5% within the district. In BC, literacy means a student’s ability to understand, critically analyze, and create a variety of forms of communication, including oral, written, visual, digital, and multimedia, to accomplish one’s goals. Literacy applies to reading, writing, speaking and listening skills across a variety of subject areas.

Cowichan’s literacy team, led by a group of literacy support teachers, classroom teachers, education assistants and school-based administrators brought together by Acting Superintendent Darlene Reynolds and resourced by the Board of Education have spent the last number of years analyzing student data and identifying tools and teaching practice to improve both to benefit students.

“The Board is tremendously proud of these results and so grateful to our staff for the hard work it takes to make these changes. We know that every time these literacy rates increase, it means another student being able to go home and read to their parents or understand materials in their classes. Literacy is the foundation to a strong education, and a strong education is the foundation to student’s future success,” said Cathy Schmidt, Chair of the Board of Education for the Cowichan Valley School District.

“Our educators have shown an incredible commitment to reflect, learn and work to continuously improve what we do to benefit our students; I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our staff. These results are a celebration for our district and for school communities. These results are life-changing,” said Acting Superintendent Darlene Reynolds.

While staff are celebrating, they are also looking to the upcoming school year to continue improving support for student learning, including beginning focused work for numeracy.

08/31/2026

The Board of Education for the Cowichan Valley School District is happy to announce the sale of Koksilah Elementary School to Duncan Pentecostal Church and Living Stones Landscaping Inc.

Koksilah Elementary opened its doors as an elementary school in 1964 replacing the Old Koksilah school. Over the years, Koksilah Elementary School grew to include 14 classrooms, a library and a gymnasium. It served the community from its construction until its closing in 2013. After the school’s closing, the Board partnered with Vancouver Island University (VIU) to provide local trades training for Cowichan Valley students, keeping local students training in local schools and with local businesses. With the conclusion of VIU’s lease in 2026 the trades training centre moved from Koksilah and the Board finalized their consultation under the provincial disposal process before listing the property for public sale.

The sale of the property is a high priority for the Board as the funds generated will be directed towards repairs and maintenance to schools across the district. These projects could include addressing playground needs, heating and cooling system upgrades, and/or accessibility improvements.

“The sale of Koksilah Elementary School to Duncan Pentecostal Church and Living Stones Landscaping Inc. is a celebration for our community and district, that’s why the board unanimously supported this offer. Our students have told us that it’s important for them to have pride in their place of learning, and this sale helps deliver on that by generating needed funds for important renovations and improvement,” stated Cathy Schmidt, chair of the Board of Education for the Cowichan Valley School District.

The sale was finalized on August 28, 2026, and Duncan Pentecostal Church and Living Stones Landscaping Inc. will take possession of the property on September 15, 2026.

08/26/2026

Cowichan Valley School District transportation registration is now closed for the 2026/27 school year. We will be processing all registrations up to August 19. Late registrations will be reviewed on a first-come-first-served basis and approval based on available space on our buses. Please check your email for an email from [email protected]. If you have not received an email, be sure to check your spam folder as well. If you have not received a confirmation email, you will need to arrange for alternate transportation.

You can also reference ‘My Ride’ app for your student's busing information, which will be live on August 26. You may need to log out, and log back in to your ‘My Ride’ app in order to get the most up to date routing information.

Changes to your student's route may occur until September 4, 2026, as routing efficiencies are still in progress. Routing times will not be confirmed until that date.

Check www.sd79.bc.ca/services/transportation for any transportation-related questions or to find contact information for our transportation department.

08/20/2026

Welcome to the 2026/27 School Year!

You can find information on the first day of school, info for new students, returning students, bus registration and schedules and more through the information below or at sd79.bc.ca We're excited to welcome our students back!