The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the way School District 43 is dealing with its $323 million budget process.
Tomorrow the preliminary budget will be revealed virtually — via Zoom video conferencing.
But while the Tuesday 7 p.m. board meeting is open to the public, only SD43 staff and board members will be able to interact.
You will be able to see and hear them, but with your camera and microphone off, the communication will not be two-way, the school district states in an online explainer.
This may solve problems that have happened where Zoom links have been given to pranksters, who disrupt Zoom meetings with obnoxious comments.
People who want to ask questions can do so by emailing [email protected] prior and the question will be raised during the public board meeting.
With public meetings not allowed during COVID-19, SD43 is using this teleconferencing method to continue to keep its decision-making public.
Other districts are using the teleconferencing platform for staff meetings and even to talk to parents and students.
But security issues have been raised about Zoom in the past.
The California-based video conferencing company, which according to founder Eric S. Yuan has seen the number of daily participants in meetings using the platform balloon from about 10 million last December to 200 million in March, has been criticized recently for security issues.
Complaints have included flaws in encryption that could allow unwanted observers to access meetings, sharing user data with third parties such as Facebook, allowing hosts to track computer use of others in a meeting, letting hackers take over users’ webcams and making the platform vulnerable to “zoombombing,” where someone breaks into a meeting and posts unwanted content, yells abuse or threats or tries other ways to disrupt the meeting.
With cameras and mics turned off, this “zoombombing” shouldn’t happen tomorrow night.
The Tri-City News has reached out to the school district for comments about Zoom video conferencing. We will report out when we hear back.
In addition to a preview of the 2020/2021budget, SD43 will also discuss school plans during the pandemic, a potential land sale of property at 1019 Fernwood Ave., and a five-year-capitol plan bylaw.
For more information about the meeting, visit here: https://www.sd43.bc.ca/Board/MeetingsMinutes/Pages/default.aspx#/=
— with files from The Coast Reporter
