Prince George, B.C.- School District 57’s funding for the current school year is up by $344,603 dollars, even though enrolment is down by 479 students making the region wide enrolment 14,092.

The funding for this year is $119,185,252.00

 

Under the Province’s funding, no district will receive less funding in the 2008-09 operating grant allocation than they did last year, despite continuing declining enrolment. Fifty-five of the 60 school districts are receiving increases to their operating grants and five remain at last year's levels.

 

Province wide, Boards of education are receiving $4.467 billion in operating grants for this school year - an increase of $122 million over last year and an increase of $789 million since 2001. Per-pupil funding has also increased for the ninth year in a row, totalling $8,118 in 2008-09 - a $268 increase over last year. The per-pupil grant has increased by $1,897 since 2000-01.

 

School districts with an enrolment decrease greater than one per cent in a year receive a funding protection supplement from the Province. The Province also provides additional funds to help districts with a decrease in enrolment of four per cent or more, and districts with a decrease of seven per cent or more over the previous three years. This year, districts are sharing almost $11.5 million to help with declining enrolment.

 

The operating grants also include $12.8 million in funding for expanded summer learning programs that occurred during the summer of 2008. For the first time ever, nearly 42,000 students across British Columbia were able to enrol in academic courses during the summer without charge.