The school district is busy preparing the 2011/2012 budget that will have the same bottom line as last year.
Though the Ministry of Education announced a $58 million increase to the $4.721 billion in operating funding going out to school districts in B.C, School District 51 will not be affected.
That’s because SD51 is still under funding protection, something that was an uncertainty even last Tuesday at the board of education meeting. Though still working on the details, Jeanette Hanlon, secretary- treasurer for School District 51, says the funding will be the same as last year, the best outcome that it could get.
“We did get the exact same funding, which I was hoping for,” Hanlon says.
“We’re still getting funding protection money which is great.”
Hanlon is now putting together the 2011/2012 budget report for the finance committee meeting in April, and will not know the cost pressures until closer to the middle of next month.
The funding is again $15,717,834, and Hanlon cautions that cost pressures, like rising gas prices, will make the balancing of the budget more difficult.
Superintendent Michael Strukoff says that at this point, staffing at the elementary schools and Boundary Central Secondary School is looking to stay the same.
The big impact is at Grand Forks Secondary School, because they will be losing a projected 45 to 50 students next year due to declining enrolment.
“That has a domino effect through the schools in Grand Forks,” he adds.
Norm Sabourin, president of the Boundary District Teachers’ Association, is also worried the about increases in expenditures for the school district.
“I would bet just busing alone and fuel and the price of heating and all of that would gobble that up in a hurry,” Sabourin says.
This puts the district in a position to lose services, he says, and it will still be losing students, teachers and support staff.
“The indication is that our district, like every other district, is cutting more service next year,” he says. “It’s just an impression I have.”
The cuts will also have to do with declining enrolment in the district, especially at Grand Forks Secondary School.
Sabourin is also worried that to balance the budget the district will have to layoff teachers and teaching assistants.
“I’m really concerned about what that will do to the delivery of programs and the overall quality of education we’re giving to students. The more teachers you cut, the less you have for students,” Sabourin says.
“Especially in high school, every teacher you cut, you’re looking at seven blocks that are no longer available to students.”
Sabourin says he is worried about the state of education in general, because it’s not being properly funded and each year is getting worse.
“Obviously our district has done the best they can, our school board has worked really hard to keep services for students,” he says.
Sabourin says the Ministry of Education is at fault for not properly funding education.
“They are not giving our school board enough to work with,” he adds.