Glimmer Of Hope For SD57's Funding Woes

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 04:10 AM

Prince George, B.C. - The Board Chair of School District 57 says he is cautiously optimistic about preliminary funding set to be released by the Ministry of Education on March 15th.

Lyn Hall says trustees met with local MLAs Pat Bell and Shirley Bond -- and Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid via conference call -- last Saturday and were able to go over the district's financial concerns in detail.

Hall says they went over the District Sustainability report outlining SD57's $7-million dollar shortfall, declining enrolment, the pending hike in teachers' salaries on July 1st, all-day Kindergarten being proposed for September, and the government's carbon tax.

Hall says he left the meeting feeling confident that all three ministers fully understand the position the district is in. Hall says, "We're optimistic about what we might hear on March 15th, as a result."

Following the preliminary budget, the School Board Chair says trustees will have a two-week window to talk with administration to see what impact the funding has on the district's financial challenges, prior to the board's March 30th meeting to make a final decision on proposed school closures.

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Posted on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 04:10 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: mythoughts on February 24 2010 6:55 AM

Great editorial today in the Citizen about the olympics and education funding. This says it all...
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/article/20100219/PRINCEGEORGE0302/302199999/-1/princegeorge/no-to-the-olympics

Posted by: realitycheck on February 24 2010 8:30 AM

That editorial was crap (In my opinion).

Posted by: mikmak on February 24 2010 8:46 AM

saying something is 'crap' isn't really an opinion. it's just a statement of nothing really. if you're one of those people who constantly believe that the district's deficit is caused solely by declining enrollment, i can understand why you might get upset. but then again, the reasons for the deficit are so much more complex than that. and if you honestly believe for a second that money for healthcare and education hasn't been siphoned away to the olympics, you are delusional and have become exactly the type of person vanoc and the bc liberals are attempting to create. baaaahhh.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on February 24 2010 8:50 AM

hmmm...did the Campbell government blink?

Posted by: billposer on February 24 2010 1:04 PM

I'm not a big fan of the style of that editorial, but its point is right on the mark: the Olympics have cost us an enormous amount of money for very modest benefit, mostly to a subset of businesses in the Lower Mainland (such as restaurants). Most of the facilities that were created or upgraded would otherwise have been of low priority. If the Olympics were to be held here at all, it should have been with the costs placed firmly on the shoulders of the businesses (mostly multinationals) that benefit from them, not the taxpayer. The money could far better have been spent on education, health care, and other priorities

Posted by: Born in BC on February 24 2010 1:44 PM

Ya just like money is being siphoned out of education and health care by union janitorial staff and other unionized unskilled labor. Oh right but thats the type of siphoning that the uneducated and lazy left is okay with, so we wont mention that.

We can go back and forth all day long, but in the end anyone can be unskilled labor but only the intelligent and hard working can be more. When anyone can be something, you will, and should, get the short end. Its called capitalism, its called a meritocracy.

Is it a crap system (like the crap editorial)? YES. Is it the best system there is? YES!

Posted by: apoliticalgeek on February 24 2010 7:29 PM

Born in BC - you don't get it - the original editorial was critical of how the free enterprise government was spending our money. But the 'reality' is that some parents are looking at their kids having to spend 2~3 hours a day on the bus so the elite (who else can afford >1000$ to see a sporting event) can have a party. We don't live in a meritocracy when 5% of the population controls 90% of the wealth, and that wealth is mostly inherited not earned. It is an oligarchy and exists mostly to have us worker drones feed the fat cats. Don't get mad at the unions - get mad at the top 5% - they're the ones truly screwing us.

Posted by: Harbinger on February 24 2010 8:44 PM

Maybe the school board can set aside a few bucks in their budget to buy lottery tickets like me.

Posted by: MrPG on February 24 2010 10:28 PM

The editorial was garbage. Not unexpected from the Citizen these days.

I wonder if one day people will realize that SD57 doesn't have enough kids to keep all the schools open, and the enrollment number is decreasing.

I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Guess what, the rural lifestyle was dying long before they decided to close the schools there.