The only surprise about Education Minister George Abbott's announcement of $8.1 million in holdback funding for the province's 60 school districts is that it's less money than trustees had expected.

In a press release issued this morning, the ministry announced districts would receive $8.1 million from the ministry's holdback fund, a reserve of money for school districts in case enrolment levels are higher than anticipated, but that $3 million will be used to cover property loss insurance premiums the government used to pay for. The release estimates this will mean an increase in funding of $15 per student.

"A combination of prudent fiscal planning by government and accurate enrolment predictions by school districts means more money is available for every district," says Abbott in the release, adding that there is still another $7.5 million in the holdback fund to cover enrolment increases.

"In December, districts received an additional $88 per student, and we are now able to add a further $15 to support each full-time equivalent student enrolled in the B.C. public school system."

Vancouver School Board Chair Patti Bacchus says they were expecting this money anyway, but that announcing it after most districts submitted their budgets makes for awkward timing.

"It particularly circumvents our democratic processes we go through in developing a budget in consultation with the public," she says, adding that Vancouver's share of the money should be around $500,000.

Bacchus anticipates the money will cover the cost of carbon offsets the district is required to purchase, as well as Capital Asset Management System fees, payments districts are required to make on their Annual Facility Grant funds—about $270,000 for Vancouver this year.

BC Teachers' Federation President Susan Lambert calls the government's decision to use $3 million of the $8.1 million to pay off the insurance premiums "cynical," arguing it's telling districts how to spend their money.

"That $3 million, boards would be counting on this holdback money and would already be determining way earlier in the school year what this money would be going to. This money has already been spent," Lambert told The Tyee.

Bacchus says she welcomes the money, but is disappointed in the way funding cuts and increases are announced by the government.

"We have been pleading as school boards for stable, predictable, and adequate funding," she says.

"We spend far too much time reacting to funding announcements, funding losses; if we had that stability and predictability, we'd have a lot more time to focus on improving student success instead of scrambling to deal with a new surprise from the ministry that wasn't anticipated two weeks before or even a week before."

Katie Hyslop reports on education for The Tyee Solutions Society.