Economy to affect education
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Times
January 16, 2009
By: Katherine Wagner

The global economic crisis is in the process of reshaping our future - for better or worse.

As we advance further into uncharted and unpredictable economic territory, financial experts are pessimistic about the prospects for 2009.

In the midst of all this gloom and doom, what is in store for education in 2009?

… Even without the aid of a crystal ball to predict the future of education, several challenges and a handful of opportunities are visible.

Always a hot topic, the issue of funding for education is about to catch on fire. Education and health spending account for the majority of B.C.'s provincial budget, but it is a budget forged during good times.

As fortunes change and the swollen springtime river of cash flowing into government coffers turns into a late summer stream, there will be difficult decisions to make.

Public school spending expands with ease but there has been little planning or attention paid to building a capacity to deal with funding declines.

This situation exists despite full knowledge of declining enrolment trends and the inevitability of economic downturns - though few predicted the enormous size and scope of this global economic meltdown.

School districts have spent taxpayer-purchased professional time and expertise attempting to build independent-of-government revenue streams.

Some efforts have proved a net cost to the school system, while others have increased cash flow while fundamentally changing the structure of the school system….

Like others, the Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows school district relies heavily on international student tuition fees to balance its operating budget.

Locally and internationally, as they react and adjust to the economic times, parents will be carefully considering their ability to pay discretionary expenses such as tuition/fees.

During the last school year (2007/08), almost $8 million of the $123 million operating budget for SD42 flowed from locally-generated revenue….

Education issues will likely be overshadowed by concerns about the economy during the May 12th provincial election campaign. Agree or disagree with their positions, BCTF advertising has raised the profile of education during past provincial election campaigns stimulating public attention and debate….

Expect plans for all-day kindergarten to go on the shelf until the global economic situation stabilizes.

Children do not learn when they are hungry; therefore expect an increased call for school breakfast and hot lunch programs….