Minister of Education Margaret MacDiarmid today issued a directive to the Vancouver School Board, ordering it to submit, by June 18, a balanced budget that "takes full consideration" of the Comptroller General's report and recommendations.
In a letter to the VSB, MacDiarmid wrote:
As Minister of Education, I have a responsibility to ensure education dollars are being spent prudently and in the best interest of students. The Comptroller's recommendations, if acted upon, will help the Board develop a balanced budget that achieves savings, reduces waste and is in the best interest of students. As such, I am issuing the following Ministerial Directive Order to the Board:
The Board of Education for the Vancouver School District (School District #39) must:
1) Direct its senior management team to develop a balanced budget that:
a) takes full consideration of the recommendations directed to the Vancouver Board of Education set out in the Office of the Comptroller General’s June 2010 "Report on The Vancouver School Board (School District 39);" and
b) is drafted with the best interests of students, student achievement and parents as the paramount considerations; and
2) On or before June 18, 2010, submit the draft budget to the Minister for her review prior to that budget being voted on by the Vancouver Board of Education.
In a news conference, MacDiarmid said the VSB had been "largely dismissive" of the Comptroller General's report. She said that she and the board had confidence in Vancouver's senior management team and its ability to put together a balanced budget by June 18.
Asked about the discrepancy between the $11 million in savings identified by the Comptroller General and the $16 million that the VSB says it needs, MacDiarmid said: "It's clear that the Vancouver School Board has choices and they've made poor choices."
She did not make it clear how the budget would show that the Comptroller General's recommendations had been taken into consideration, but also said that it was too late for the VSB to close schools by this fall. School closures were among the CG's recommendations.
MacDiarmid said she has the ability to remove the board, "but I'm not considering that at this time."
Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.
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Skywalker
1 year ago
Yes, Minister we understand Minister.
You are ordered to apply the limits I have set - in other words "do my dirty work" - or I will appoint a bunch of liberal lackeys to do my dirty work for me. After that you can have an election and elect whoever you like.
offended
1 year ago
And in the meantime.....
the Langley School Board keeps making "accounting errors" and have a deficit of over $13 million for this year.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/aldergrovestar/news/85422827.html
Vancouver has around 56,000 students.
Langley has only 20,000.
Yet they're over $13 million in the red.
DPL
1 year ago
The woman thinks she is a
The woman thinks she is a Maggie Thatcher. Must have been a dandy MD. anyone can balance a budget, just close most of the schools, fire most of the staff. Is that what she wants. The Socreds fired a school board in Vancouver years ago to show how tough they can be. Now the new socred /Liberals are throwing their weight around.
will she be on the recall list. I wonder if she kept her billing number as a back up
Buck Futter
1 year ago
Offended-
did you also notice the coincidence that Langley's school board was endorsed by Liberals Rich Coleman and Mary Polak?
Sad that the only board with the balls to call out the ministry is clearly being made a scapegoat while those who are Liberal lackeys are doing just fine.
jim1966
1 year ago
Inept
Again I must squarely put the blame on the BC Liberals. They have now proven that they are inept at being financial leaders at anything. They are liars and we all have been duped. I cannot wait to see if this minister will be recalled and someone should quietly mention a change of wardrobe to this minister, she wears the same outfit (in different colors)every day. C'mon Maggie it's the 21st century already!
DJT
1 year ago
Well, I see all is going
Well, I see all is going according to the Liberal's plan....