Parents at School District No. 57 (SD57) are concerned over the 2023/24 school district budget which is facing a $2.3 million shortfall.
There is potential to overcome that deficit for the coming year by borrowing from surplus, moving unspent targeted funds from prior years forward, delays to hiring, and borrowing from the benefits plan surplus.
However, SD57’s Board of Education will not resume budget discussions until its June 27 meeting, more than a week after the June 17 byelection.
The board is required to submit a balanced budget to the Minister of Education by June 30.
“A multi-year strategy of district restructuring will be needed if the enrolment numbers hold true and the Province does not offer new funding to ensure salary and inflation do not impact the classroom experience for today’s students in SD57 and other interior and northern school districts,” said District Parent Advisory Council Chair Laura Weller.
However, DPAC noted that in the next four years SD57 will also face significant projected declines in student enrolment that could range from 100 to 350 students. This could lead to an $8 million decrease in Provincial Operating Grants – SD57’s primary source of funding.
DPAC says parents are concerned the shortfall will bring discussion around closing schools to balance the budget in future years.
“The simple math is alarming: in an overall budget of $200 million with an $8 million decrease due to enrolment declines, plus approximately $10 million in salary increases that may or may not be funded by the province that facilitated the negotiations, added onto reduced buying power with annual inflation hovering over 5 per cent for energy and 3 per cent for other commodities, then divided by 41 schools. It looks like Trustees and Administration will seriously be considering long-term feasibility of which schools operate, where, and at what capacity,” said Weller.
DPAC notes that as the final week of the by-election for two vacated seats on the Board of Trustees approaches, the organization urges eligible voters to turnout to ensure the best possible candidates end up rounding out the board as it faces the toughest financial decisions in over a decade.
Advanced voting is Tuesday June 13, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the District Office with the general election on Saturday June 17, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at specific schools around the city.
Polling stations will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m at Glenview (7310 Cluff Rd.), Heritage (257 Anderson St.), Malaspina (7900 Malaspina Blvd.) and Pineview (8515 Old Cariboo Hwy.) elementary schools, as well as the Van Bien Training Centre (311 Wilson Cres.).
