The British Columbia School Trustees Association (BCSTA) has voiced its support for the recent BC Court of Appeal decision granting government a stay of two terms of a B.C. Supreme Court (BCSC) ruling early this year.
In January, BCSC Justice Susan Griffin ordered class sizes and composition to be restored to 2002 levels, as well as the public release of some related court testimony.
School District #27 (SD27) chair Tanya Guenther says the Court of Appeal decision gives local trustees some certainty for the current school year.
“However, we are still uncertain on whether there will be any impacts on the 2014/15 budget. Until there are changes required, either from a ruling on the appeal or through contract negotiations, we will not have certainty on when and how this will impact our budget for the coming years.”
SD27 trustees are in the early stages of the budget process for 2014/15 school year, she explains, and dealing with shortfalls caused by fee hikes and lost provincial funding protection.
“…[We] will be working hard to address all of the cost pressures we are facing, which include the MSP [Medical Services Plan] premium increase, the BC Hydro rate increases, and the 1.5 per cent reduction in funding protection.”
