School district expects $4.1M shortfall in ‘10
The Tri-City News
By Diane Strandberg
March 25, 2010

School District 43 bean counters have less than two weeks to formulate a plan for whittling costs by more than $4 million to balance next year’s budget….

There is little room to move, however, because the district is expecting a $4.1 million shortfall despite an infusion of $3.4 million of cash. ….

Some of the things that aren’t being funded are increased pension plan costs, carbon offsets (money the district has to pay to become carbon neutral), and higher MSP premiums. It will also cost $1.5 million for additional teachers and $290,000 for special education assistants for the new full-day kindergarten program for about 800 students that starts this fall.

According to Janzen, the district lost about $900,000 because of changes to the province’s funding formula and $113,000 in investment income because of new rules on when interest is paid out to school districts.