The Saanich school board could be submitting a budget that calls on the provincial government for a $984,000 contribution to help balance the books.
At the heart of the matter is what the board sees as government action that has led to a deficit. With that in mind, the board will decide May 11 whether to approve a budget that includes a $984,000 line to be called “anticipated revenue from government.”
“We’re putting in a budget with intended revenue back from the [Education Ministry],” said board chairwoman Victoria Martin.
Without that revenue, the budget would be unbalanced. All boards in B.C. are required to submit balanced budgets each year by June 30. Failure to do so can lead to trustees being fired. The Saanich board also considered an unbalanced budget for 2011-12.
Martin said budget issues stem from two Ministry of Education moves, including taking $700,000 in administrative savings made by the Saanich school district and putting it into provincial coffers.
“That doesn’t go back into the system — we don’t get that back.”
Martin said the ministry also added $284,000 in annual costs to the district for a new provincial network providing Internet access. The previous system in the district was run at a cost of only about $30,000 a year, she said.
The $984,000 requested to cover the two major items are being sought to cover the budget’s anticipated $870,000 shortfall. Surpluses from previous years have been used up so there is little extra money to apply to a deficit, Martin said. “Had we not had these unexpected costs that were downloaded, we would have been able to balance.”
Martin said the district has done what has been expected of it and trimmed costs.
“We’ve closed schools, we’ve cut teachers, we’ve cut school-based counsellors over the years.”
The board is seeking an immediate meeting with Education Minister Mike Bernier, Martin said.
James Taylor, president of the Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils of Saanich, said this was supposed to be a good budget year for the district.
“I would say the last 10 years we’ve been treading water,” he said. “We’ve been doing everything to keep our head above water and to cope.”
He said he had “absolute faith” in district officials and their approach to the budget process.
“They have done their due diligence, they have done everything that they possibly can.”
Taylor said the district is at a “tipping point” and that his organization supports asking the ministry to return funds.
A statement from the ministry said the Saanich district has had a decline of more than 1,500 full-time equivalent students since 2000-01 but has seen funding increase to more than $62 million from $53 million during that time.
Districts must maximize the money spent on students in the classroom, the ministry said.
“That’s why for the past three years the government has been working closely with schools, universities and hospitals to find administrative savings and efficiencies,” the ministry said.
