The Greater Victoria School District has voted to postpone a hike in rental fees it charges daycare providers, at least one by almost 600 per cent.
A special school district budget meeting, which was open to the public, was packed with people on Wednesday night.
The district voted in favour of a motion to delay the rent increases for out-of-school care programs until more consultation is done.
Several trustees even apologized for catching people off guard.
“One of the things we ran on when we went to get elected was that we wanted to be open and transparent and accountable and it’s pretty clear that we kind of blew it,” said trustee Rob Paynter.
Strawberry Vale Preschool says it currently pays $230 per month for rent and the district wants to jack that price up to $1,300.
Staff at the facility told CTV News the increase would likely cause the preschool to shut down.
The school district said the increased rent would pay for much needed maintenance at some facilities as well as new childcare spaces.
