Assistant Secretary Treasurer Mark Friesen to Depart Chilliwack School District

Chilliwack School District Assistant Secretary Treasurer, Mark Friesen, has been appointed as Secretary Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of the Nicola-Similkameen School District. Friesen’s last official day with Chilliwack School District is August 15, 2025.

Friesen joined the District as Assistant Secretary Treasurer in 2015. In his decade with the District, Friesen helped to modernize the District’s financial processes and built collaborative relationships across the organization.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Chilliwack School District, working alongside staff who truly put kids first in all of their daily work,” said Friesen.

“Mark is a steady, kind, and empathetic leader who is admired by his team,” said Rohan Arul-pragasam, Superintendent of Schools. “While Mark will be greatly missed in Chilliwack, we’re honoured to have been part of his journey. The Nicola-Similkameen School District will benefit from Mark’s extensive experience in education and his knowledge of how financial departments support education.”

Further information about the vacancy is forthcoming. In the meantime, expressions of interest can be sent to Human Resources at pnerref@fq33.op.pnac.cb.33ds@sreerac .

Board of Education Approves Purchase of Property Adjacent to Chilliwack Middle School 

The Chilliwack School District Board of Education approved the purchase of a property adjacent to Chilliwack Middle School (CMS) at the Public Board Meeting on Tuesday, June 17th, 2025. The property at 9460 Charles Street presents a rare opportunity to prepare for possible future expansion. The property is currently the site of the Christ Lutheran Church Chilliwack.

Acquiring properties adjacent to existing schools was identified as a priority in the 2021-2025 Long-Range Facilities Plan and in the District’s 2025-2026 Five-Year Capital Plan submission to the Ministry of Education and Child Care. Rapid enrollment growth continues to put pressure on the district and is further complicated by the lack of available and suitable land for new school sites in Chilliwack.

“The Board of Education has heard from the community about the importance of long-term planning to address continued growth in our District,” said David Swankey, Board Chair. “This acquisition is a win for future students in our urban centre. We’re grateful to the congregation at Christ Lutheran Church for working with District staff on this opportunity.”

CMS’ current capacity is 525 with a current enrolment of 604 or 115%. District staff anticipate that enrollment at the school will reach 692 (132%) by 2028.

Since 2018, the Province and Chilliwack School District have added 2,420 new school spaces for students with the opening of Stitó:s Lá:lém Totí:lt Elementary/Middle and Imagine High Integrated Arts and Technology and expansions to G.W. Graham Secondary, Vedder Elementary and Promontory Heights Elementary. Expansions at Sardis Secondary and AD Rundle Middle, and the construction of the new east side elementary school will add 1200 spaces over the next two years.  

Students can Borrow Free eBooks and Audiobooks this Summer! 

The Chilliwack School District is making free ebooks and audiobooks available to students in time for summer! The free Sora app is a quick and easy way for students to borrow digital titles. Students simply log in to their device using their school credentials and then have access to eBooks, magazines and audiobooks on virtually any device.

"We’d love to get the word out to students and their families so that students have access to books all summer long," said District Teacher-Librarian, Lorraine Lange. "Studies suggest that students can lose around 20% of their reading gains over summer, so it's important to encourage reading in the summer months." 

Get Started: 

1. Install the Sora app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store or visit soraapp.com on a computer.
2. Search Chilliwack, then sign in using the students will use their student's SD33 login. Students can see their teacher or librarian for help using the app.
3. Browse the Explore tab to check out all the options available in our new online library. 

Sora is an app by OverDrive for Libraries. OverDrive is the leading digital reading platform for libraries and schools worldwide that delivers the industry's largest catalog of ebooks, audiobooks and other digital media to a growing network of 92,000 libraries and schools in 115 countries.