Vancouver DPAC makes appeal to education minister
By Janet Steffenhagen
February 3, 2010
REPORT CARD

The Vancouver district parent advisory councils (DPAC) has sent the following letter to Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid:

Dear Dr. MacDiarmid,

As representatives of the parents/guardians of 55,000 children in Vancouver public schools, we are writing to express the urgent necessity that your government not shift unfunded costs on to local school boards in the 2010-2011 school year.

These downloaded costs will result in a SD39 minimum shortfall of 17 million dollars and are not in areas where boards have the discretion to spend less. Items which your government has so far refused to cover in provincial education funding grants include:

• Salary and benefit increases negotiated by your government;
• Carbon tax and offset charges;
• MSP and WCP  premium increases;
• Full-day K and Bill 33 implementation costs.

The education of all of our students – typical, ESL, special needs, aboriginal – will be profoundly impacted by any further cuts to our already stretched district budget.

On behalf of Vancouver parents and children, we insist that your government fully fund all provincially mandated costs in the budget it presents March 3rd.

Sincerely,
Julianne Doctor
Chair, Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council