North Okanagan-Shuswap trustees are faced with an overwhelming situation.
No matter what they do, a $1.1 million shortfall means significant cuts will be required to balance the 2016/17 budget.
“We see the numbers on the page, but these numbers represent children’s lives, parents’ lives and employees’ lives,” said trustee Barry Chafe. “We are reaching into the classroom deeper each year.”
And the impact could be significant this coming year.
Among the potential cuts are eliminating all teacher-librarians and reductions to learning resource teachers and certified education assistants for students with special learning needs. The alternate education program could be restructured and the gifted education program scrapped.
There could also be fewer resources for literacy intervention and career programs.
Obviously there are concerns about how the school district has handled its finances, and particularly transferring the previous year’s $10.5 million operational surplus to capital over the last five years to pay for buildings, furniture, computers and renovations. This included the new $9 million District Education Support Centre on Shuswap Street.
However, even with that, the bottom line is that money is extremely tight and the primary reason is the lack of provincial support. Ministry of Education funding has not kept up with the cost of living, and while Victoria insists it doesn’t play a role in how districts operate, it completely determines cost factors like staff salaries and B.C. Hydro.
While trustees try to sort out the 2016/17 budget, they also need to demand a meeting with Shuswap MLA Greg Kyllo. They can sit down with Kyllo and show him the books and the mess that our public education system has become.
–Vernon Morning Star
