Schools require adequate funding
Times Colonist
May 29, 2009

Parents -- and anyone concerned with the province's future -- have to decide who should be believed on school district funding. Education Minister Shirley Bond maintains all is well. That given declining enrolments, school districts can manage with little or no extra money without sacrificing educational quality.

School trustees say that is not true. The funding constraints are forcing cuts to programs and services.

Increases are not keeping pace with costs, the delegates agreed at the B.C. School Trustees Association's annual general meeting last month, as they launched a campaign to improve support for public education.

Trustees are elected, of course, because they care about education. They can be expected to be advocates.

But they also have shown a great patience and willingness to work within the constraints set by government. Trustees, with few exceptions, avoid party-based divisions and focus on the work at hand.

When their association expresses concern, it is a sign of significant problems….

But each board has also said the funding is inadequate to maintain current services for students. Saanich says it is short $3.6 million. Among other changes, teachers will be laid off and class sizes increased -- not because of enrolment declines, but because provincial funding has not kept pace with cost increases.

Victoria trustees considered -- and rejected in a 5-3 vote -- simply sending a deficit budget to the ministry and accepting the consequences.

The government argues that districts should be able to maintain education quality with the money being provided. Grants are provided on a per-pupil basis and the amount for this year has risen 2.5 per cent, to $8,446 per student. A special fund cushions abrupt enrolment declines.

The government's claim does not hold up. This year, for example, the Greater Victoria school district will receive a funding increase of less than one per cent. The Saanich district provincial funding is effectively frozen.

Both districts will have fewer students. But the notion that an enrolment decline automatically means lower costs is false. A school can lose four students -- or some $35,000 in funding -- but still not be able to eliminate a class and teacher or stop heating a room or maintaining the building. In fact, costs continue to rise in line with collective agreements and other price increases.

… Now the cuts are hurting students.

It's been four years since Gordon Campbell unveiled his five great goals for B.C. First on the list was a commitment to become the best educated, most literate jurisdiction in North America. Since that time, there has been little progress in the school system. Dropout rates are unchanged and test results static. Forcing school districts into service cuts will decrease the chances of reaching the goal….