In a move similar to other financial crises dating back to the mid-1980s, the trustees of School District 27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin) have voted 4-3 for a budget that would break provincial law by running a deficit.
The decision, taken at a meeting on January 28, puts the board on a collision course with Victoria and could result in the firing of the trustees.
At that meeting the board passed several motions including these:
“1. That the Board of Education develop a budget for 2010-2011 that retains an acceptable quality of education for our students. Given current funding projections, it is anticipated that this may result in a deficit budget. The Board accepts that this is contrary to the advice of senior staff and requirements of the School Act. Trustees Elliot, Rodier and Penner opposed.
“2. That motion #1 above to put forward a deficit budget be copied to all B.C. school districts and the Minister; that a letter be sent to all B.C. school districts encouraging them to consider taking and announcing similar action; and further, that a letter be sent to Minister of Education indicating the Board’s interest in working together to address our budget concerns. Trustee Elliott opposed.”
The motions were reported in the Williams Lake Tribune on January 29.
In an interview with The Tyee, Board Chair Wayne Rodier said the motions were passed when the Olympic torch relay was in town and only two persons were in the audience -- a parent and the head of the Cariboo-Chilcotin Teachers’ Association.
“We are in a position where we expect a $3.4 million shortfall,” Rodier said, adding that the board had spent days looking at options like closing or consolidating schools and shutting down programs.
Asked if he expected the board to be fired by the ministry, as has happened to other boards in the past, Rodier said he did, but that it probably wouldn’t happen until School District 27 actually files a deficit budget, which would be on April 15.
Joan Erb, president of the Cariboo-Chilcotin Teachers’ Association, told The Tyee that teachers had voted twice, in December and January, to ask the board to submit a deficit budget.
“We are very supportive and very, very pleased that they did so,” she said. “This is the first board to say, ‘We can’t run this district with the amount of money you’re giving us.’ We’re working as hard as we can to get support from other locals.”
Similar measures were taken by B.C. school boards in 1985, when 35 districts submitted “needs budgets” rather than work within what the Socred government of the day had required. Most eventually submitted “compliance budgets,” and in May the Vancouver School Board was fired for failing to do so.
Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.
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Fiat lux
2 years ago
Three of the trustees,
Three of the trustees, including the Chair and NDP MLA Bob Simpson, took part in a public meeting in the Big Lake Community Centre on Jan 25. over the possible closing of the Big Lake elementary school, which has 26 students at this time.
It was a well attended, very constructive meeting where the trustees had a good chance to hear the anguish of the parents, whose children would face between 3 to 5 hours in the buses every day if the school was closed. The highschool students are already doing this.
The ladies of the PAC have done an excellent job showing that the closure would not only torture the community, but wouldn't "save" any money on the long run.
When our son was in highschool, we was on the bus for 3 hours every day, which couldn't be avoided, but forcing little 5-6 year old is inhuman and stupid, yet fits very well into the neocon and neoclassical economic theory and philosophy, but people may just be waking up and start questioning it.
Therefore, the Board's decision is not surprising, only the votes against a logical move, obviously by the Party faithful.
The question is, how long real people will permit the destructive policies of this government to ruin their lives to please
our "wealth creating foreign investors?"
Canada and Australia are listed by the World Bank as the wealthiest countries on Earth and BC is probably the wealthiest in Canada......... with the lowest minimum wage, the highest child poverty, foodbank lines and homelessness figures, while some thieving executives are raking um multimillion salaries from the public's pockets.
May makes a lot of sense for the ideologically crippled, but who else ?.
Ed Deak, Big Lake.
Fiat lux
2 years ago
Bob Simpson MLA
BOB SIMPSON: Underfunding education leads to rural school closures
Published: January 28, 2010 8:00 AM
Updated: January 28, 2010 9:38 PM
This Monday, I attended a community meeting at Big Lake, which focused on how it can keep its school open, as it is one of eight targeted for possible closure to address School District 27’s budget shortfall of $3 million.
This shortfall is a direct result of the Liberal government’s underfunding of the education system, an issue we’ve been raising for years now.
Since it seems the Liberal government is paying attention to what I say in my columns and have ministers responding to them, let me give you the Liberal spin right now: “Under this Liberal government we have the highest ever per student funding for education.”
No matter what issue we raise with this government about the K-12 system that’s the answer we get.
Ask about class size issues: “highest ever funding.” Cuts to funding for school sports: “highest ever funding.” The closure of rural and remote schools, schools that are the heart and soul of these communities and essential to their economic future: “highest ever funding.”
What the Liberal government won’t admit is that the per student funding formula and the rules governing how school districts manage school utilization eventually forces school districts with rural and remote schools to close them and bus students into urban schools.
The Liberals also won’t admit they’ve downloaded costs onto school districts that rob dollars from direct support to students in classes. For example, the Liberal government negotiated the teacher’s contract but didn’t provide the school districts with more money to cover the wage increases. They imposed class size restrictions and didn’t fund those. Medical Services Plan costs were increased and, again, not funded.
The carbon tax, a significant additional cost for rural school districts is another burden that isn’t covered in the per student formula. And, all school districts must now buy carbon credits out of their existing funding. For School District 27 that’s $300,000 this year that won’t go to students in classes.
The education system is underfunded; that’s why our schools are being closed.
BOB
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The Lastfish
2 years ago
Fuck Margret McDiarmid!
And Gordon Campbell can stuff his deficit up his ass!!!!
Right on Ed Deak.
$600 million for a doughnuthole roof opening.
Skywalker
2 years ago
I wonder.
Back in the mid 90's the BC Liberals under Campbell were advocating reducing the number of school boards to 40 to save money. Bear in mind that BC Healthcare is now ruled by a few Health Authorities and the 40 school boards become a distinct possibility. School board could be set up to react in just such a way that the Liberal thugs fire them all and create their 40 boards out of the ashes. I would not trust them.
Fiat lux
2 years ago
All dictatorial systems in
All dictatorial systems in history have relied heavily on show projects, parades, circuses etc. to capture people's attention and divert their attention from brutal realities.
As the Romans said it : Panem et circenses
(Bread and circuses)
Capitalism is basic dictatorship by a self appointed aristocracy, claiming ruling rights acquired by "competition", therefore it is of little surprise what this two week madness, falsely called "games", will cost, who will pay for them and how ?
Ed Deak.
biscotti
2 years ago
Congratulations Trustees & Big Lake
I hope you will inspire others to stand up to this government.
Many aspects of the school funding formulas make as much sense as some of the more obscure GST rules and formulas, e.g. facilities funding based on square footage.
Declining enrolment is often blamed for funding shortfalls, but why should funding be linked to enrolment? Why not spend the $X for the same number of teachers and less children, i.e. have smaller classes?
Surely "the Best Place on Earth" can do better for children in the hinterland.