School District 57 trustees adopted a balanced $177.2 million operating budget 2024-24 on Tuesday, the final step in a process that saw $2.02 million trimmed from expenditures.
Cuts and reductions were made to 19 items, nine of them relating to instruction and adding up to $1.78 million, four to district administration and education administration ($89,000), five to operations and maintenance ($382,300), and one to transportation ($14,000).
Based on board discussion and public feedback, trustees refrained from implementing a transportation registration fee for bus riders, cutting the counselling position for Valemount schools, reducing in-school clerical staffing, and eliminating the distance education program, according to a summary from school district staff.
For the same reason, trustees also lessened the reduction in the District Learning Commons allocation by $70,000 and reduce the impact of the allocation on the District Parent Advisory Committee by $5,000. The reductions for those items now stand at $200,000 and $4,000 respectively.
According to the summary, the district has been facing cost pressures over the last several years. For example, over the last five years the cost of contract busing has increased 23 per cent ($880,000), cost of custodial supplies have gone up 48 per cent ($130,000) vehicle supplies (fuel, maintenance, insurance) have risen 36 per cent ($110,000) and Worksafe BC premiums have increased 132 per cent ($900,000).
As well, the Ministry of Education and Child Care has held off until the end of June on whether it will cover a one-per-cent increase to the cost-of-living allowance for unionized staff and three-per-cent salary increases for exempt staff. At stake is $1.76 million depending on how much the ministry provides, all or a portion of the total will be returned to unrestricted surplus at year end.
The budget is based on a projected enrolment of 13,182 students, down 66 from 2023-24.
Here's a closer look at the reductions trustees approved:
Instruction
- Reduce to school budget allocations by $30 per student: $390,000
- Reduce in school administration positions (Southridge,College Heights Elementary, Hart Highlands, Van Bien, Morfee, Mackenzie Secondary, McBride Secondary): $500,000
- Increase in vice-principal teaching time/reduction in teacher allocation 0.2 FTE per school (Quinson, Spruceland, Ron Brent, Harwin, Nusdeh Yoh): $121,000
- Reduce staffing, supplies and services at the District Learning Commons : $200,000;
- Eliminate the currently vacant Indigenous Education Director position: $221,000;
- Eliminate enrolment-driven counselor of 0.3 FTE between the two Valemount schools: $36,300.;
- Reduce supplemental small rural school allocation to reflect declining enrolment at Giscome Elementary: $30,000;
- Reduce the budget for staff travel and clerical support for the cultural performances program: $10,000;
- Reduce the rural schools staff travel allocation from $5,000 to $2,500 per school, based on prior year actual costs: $15,000.
District Administration - Education Administration
- Eliminate professional development coordinator position (0.5 FTE): $67,000.
District Administration - Business Administration
- Reduce the budget for retirement/long-service celebration and gifts: $10,000;
- Reduce the District Parent Advisory Council budget: $5,000;
- Reduce Central Administration Office coffee supplies $7,000.
Operations and Maintenance
- Utilities staffing reduction: $106,000;
- Purchasing department staffing reduction: $100,000;
- Staffing reduction related to discontinued and potentially discontinued programs (Distance Education, Provincial Resource Programs, Intersect): $97,000;
- Staffing reduction/reorganization for custodial services: $67,000;
- Reduce fleet by three vehicles: $12,300.
Transportation
- Reduce staffing in student transportation: $14,000
