SD57 Finalizes 2009-2010 Budget

Thursday, February 25, 2010 04:11 AM

Prince George, B.C. - While School District 57's Board of Trustees continues the hard work of mapping out budget cuts for next year, they have finalized the current year's budget to reflect September enrolment.

Secretary-Treasurer, Bryan Mix, says every year the board, in effect, files two budgets: one in the spring and a second one just before the fiscal year ends that re-states the budget based on actual student counts.

The 2009-2010 amended annual budget reflects a drop of 495 students, from the preliminary budget submitted to the Ministry of Education last May.

The total amended annual budget was $129.3-million dollars, $900-thousand dollars less than the amended budget of $130.2-million in 2008-2009.

Trustee Roxanne Ricard points out that 88-percent of the school district's overall budget is taken up by salaries and benefits to staff -- that's teachers, principals and vice-principals, educational assistants, support staff, other professionals and substitutes.

She also noted that while teachers' salaries declined slightly when compared to 08-09, those of educational assistants increased marginally. The Secretary-Treasurer says that while enrolment has declined, the number of students with special needs has increased...accounting for that shift in salaries.

This evening, trustees attend a public consultation a Peden Hill elementary school, one of the 14 schools being considered for closure during this year's fight with a $7-million dollar budget shortfall.

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Posted on Thursday, February 25, 2010 04:11 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Stompin Tom on February 25 2010 5:02 PM

Hmmm, Salaries and benefits are 88% of 129.3 million. 7 Million short fall, if the staff of the district took a 6% pay cut, that would be 6.827 million. Pretty much take care of the defecit.

Or lay off 3% of the staff, cut wages another 3%.

If the union doesnt like it, lay off 8% of the staff and build up a contingency fund.

Thats how Canfor does it, and they are unionized.

Posted by: Don Wilkins on February 25 2010 6:15 PM

Every time there is a lack of funds to run the schools, someone suggests pay cuts. Well, as a retired teacher I have been there and was there when many times we gave up some of the deserved pay cuts in order to do things like reduce class sizes which benefitted students and ourselves.

It is about time the public start looking at the size of the administration in this district. There are a large number of professionals working in the Board Office that although beneficial, should be cut before closing a single school.

This District functioned very well with 20,000 students and one superintendent and one assistant. Today with 14,000 student we have a superintendent with 2 assistants. A high school had 4 secretaries, 2 for administration and 2 to help teachers. Today, that same school has 5 secretaries all of which help administration. Then there was the school of 600 that had a principal that taught one class and a vice principal that taught 4 classes. Today that same school with under 400 students has a principal that does not teach and a vice principal that does not teach.

Posted by: Don Wilkins on February 25 2010 6:22 PM

I am not saying that all these administrators are not doing a good job, but at what cost. Certainly closing a school or keeping more administrators working should be an easy decision to make. In my opinion, we should be taking a much larger cut in the administration and leaving the classrooms alone. Closing all these rural schools will just mean more students on home schooling.

Lets get creative.