School funds unchanged despite cost increases
Summerland Review
March 24, 2010
Kevin Epp, president, Okanagan-Skaha Teachers' Union. Penticton

Dear Editor:

I am completely flummoxed, my flabber is gasted and, yes, my gob is smacked.

I hold three pieces of paper from the government in my hands and I am completely at a loss as to how I could explain the contents of them to any parent, teacher, or student in our community. 

A March 15 information bulletin claims, "Education Funding to Increase for Tenth Straight Year."

It also states that Full Day Kindergarten and wage and benefit increases will be fully funded. 

In fact the government claims that $54 million will be set aside to fund those items.

A second document, ironically titled Factsheet: Estimated Funding, estimates the cost of Full Day Kindergarten and wage and benefit increases in our district as $1,245,304. 

Here is the really confusing part.  The third document labeled Factsheet: School Districts Receive $112 Million Increase in Operating Grants, states that the district's funding for this year was $54,606,012 with 6,445 students enrolled. 

Further, it states that next year the district's budget is slated to be $54,606,012 with 6,400 students enrolled. So, the school district will receive exactly the same amount of money it did this year. It will fund Full Day Kindergarten, wage and benefit increases, and a ridiculous list of other cost increases out of the same budget it operated on this year.  

It appears "funding has increased" and "Full Day Kindergarten will be fully funded" are as believable as "The HST will be targeted to health care."