Editor’s Note: The following letter appeared recently in the Nanaimo News Bulletin –
Editor, The Times:
A comparison of School District 68 (Nanaimo) and School District 73 (Kamloops/Thompson) shows that taxpayers’ dollars are being wasted big time in the Nanaimo school district. Nanaimo has 14,674 students and Kamloops has 17,571 students.
Nanaimo’s average teacher wage is $70,812 compared to $70,511 for Kamloops. The district superintendent for Nanaimo received a compensation package of $180,773 (base salary, pension benefits, and other expenses) compared to Kamloops/Thompson of $201,218.
Nine weeks vacation for the Nanaimo superintendent and seven weeks vacation for the Kamloops/Thompson superintendent.
Nanaimo has nine trustees at yearly wages of $141,617 to Kamloops/Thompson nine trustees at yearly wages of $167,744.
Nanaimo has 752 teachers/63 principals/vice-principals, to Kamloops/Thompson 775 teachers/68 principals/vice-principals. The average wage of principals is $102,034 in Nanaimo to $102,686 in Kamloops/Thompson. Total district wages for a year is $95,779,695 in Nanaimo to $96,316,065 in Kamloops/Thompson.
Total office supplies and stationery purchases for Nanaimo was $351,583 and $255,592 for Kamloops/Thompson.
If you look at these figures, note that Kamloops/Thompson has 2,897 more students with only 23 more teachers than Nanaimo, which on average is one teacher sharing 125 more students.
The average teacher wage in Kamloops/Thompson is lower, a much lower purchase of office supplies and stationery, and payroll difference of only $536,370 with more students and teachers which in comparison shows that the Nanaimo school board is out of control with the taxpayer dollars.
In summary, the average Nanaimo teacher wage is also higher than Delta, Richmond, Burnaby, and Surrey.
All B.C. school district financial information available online at www.kto12.ca.
There is no shortage of school funds in the school districts in B.C. It is careless management of the local school boards. One big joke.
Joe Sawchuk
Duncan, B.C.
