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The School Board for District 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) registered its dismay on the recent provincial budget announcement for Budget 2015, which gives more money to private school systems, covers only BCTF wage settlement increases, demands $25MM in "admin cuts" & offers little-to-no financial relief for beleaguered public education boards in British Columbia.
Letter is signed by a number of relevant stakeholders, including the NDTA (Nanaimo District Teacher's Association) president; CUPE 606 president, First Nations representatives & others.
Originaltitel
11-Mar-2015 Letter from SD68 to BC Minister of Finance
The School Board for District 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) registered its dismay on the recent provincial budget announcement for Budget 2015, which gives more money to private school systems, covers only BCTF wage settlement increases, demands $25MM in "admin cuts" & offers little-to-no financial relief for beleaguered public education boards in British Columbia.
Letter is signed by a number of relevant stakeholders, including the NDTA (Nanaimo District Teacher's Association) president; CUPE 606 president, First Nations representatives & others.
The School Board for District 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) registered its dismay on the recent provincial budget announcement for Budget 2015, which gives more money to private school systems, covers only BCTF wage settlement increases, demands $25MM in "admin cuts" & offers little-to-no financial relief for beleaguered public education boards in British Columbia.
Letter is signed by a number of relevant stakeholders, including the NDTA (Nanaimo District Teacher's Association) president; CUPE 606 president, First Nations representatives & others.
NANAIMO LADYSMITH From the Board of Education
PUBLIC SCHOOLS Email: BoardOfEdueation@sd68,be.ca
March 11, 2015
‘The Honourable Michael de Jong,
Minister of Finance
PO Box 9417 Stn Prov Govt,
Victoria, BC V8W 9V1
Dear Honourable Minister de Jong:
To the extreme disappointment of the Board of Education of $D68 (Nanaimo Ladysmith), the
budget announced on February 17, 2015 does not invest in public education to an adequate level in
order to provide equitable, innovative and balanced programming for all our students. Instead, itis
a budget that requires further cuts for districts that have already been cutting year after year after
‘year. Some major disappointments for this school district and our stakeholders include:
1. Your “increase” in operational funding only covers the costs associated with the negotiated
teachers’ settlement reached last September. It doesn't begin to cover other downloaded
costs such as the increase in MSP premium payments, increases in hydro costs or other
rising fixed costs that boards are already facing,
2. By forcing districts to find $25 million in administrative savings in the next school year, you
are essentially reneging on your promise to cover the cost of the negotiated teachers’ and
CUPE settlement.
3. Your $30 million dollar increase in funding to independent schools is particularly
disappointing. By continuing to raise funding for “private” schools, you are in fact creating a
publically funded private school system, thus resulting in a public school system that is only
accessible to a very privileged few. By continuing to increase funding to private schools,
you are funding something that most taxpayers cannot afford.
4. ‘The announced “new” capital funding is anything but “new”, In fact, every project
‘mentioned in the announcement has already been committed to by this government. In
particular to SD68, the project mentioned in our district, Wellington Secondary School, is
actually over half way through completion.
5, To claim that there is a surplus budget when you are underfunding major services such as
education and health care is misleading,
6. Inrelation to the required administrative cut of $25 million dollars across the province for
the next school year, it seems that the Ministry of Finance and the government in general,
are particularly out of touch with the administrative reality of school districts across this.
province, but in particular SD68,
395 Wek Avene,Nemies.2C VIRAKE | hone 250741 S228 ) Fan 250741 S39 | inode | wavs bceNANAIMO LADYSMITH From the Board of Education
PUBLIC SCHOOLS Email: BoardOfEducation@sd68.be.ca
a. Our district is already operating well below the targeted administrative spending
rate of 7%, In 2013/14 our number was 4%. This number has been realized prior
to the elimination of a major administrative role, the consolidation of two ather
positions into one during this schoo! year, We have also eliminated and reduced
school based administration costs due to the closure of numeraus schools in the
past year. We expect that for this year’s budget our number will be even closer to
the provincial average of just over 3%.
b. Premier Clark recently stated in the press that school districts just need to go after
the “low hanging fruit” and enter into “group buying” programs as a way to save
money. Our school district is already participating in such a program, However,
unlike the ones that Premier Clark was referring to, which are "sector based” our
district participates in a regional” program. ‘The partners in this group buying
program include, Vancouver Island University the City of Nanaimo, The Vancouver
Island Regional Library, the Regional District of Nanaimo and many more. ‘This
program is not just for supplies, we share services such as garbage removal as well.
Over the last decade our small district has cut millions of dollars from its budget resulting in the
elimination of over 200 teaching positions, valuable and diverse programming and reductions in
hundreds of support staff and administrative positions. Do you think previous boards made all
these cuts so we could leave the “low hanging fruit’ in place? We understand the government's
demand for efficiencies, but education has done their part, SD68 has done thefr part.
Much to the dismay of this Board of Education, this budget reflects the fact that those in charge of
the purse strings in our provincial government are sadly out of touch with the reality of running a
school district. The implication that all we need to do is find “administrative savings” for public
education to once again thrive Is ridiculous. What needs to happen is for your office to once again
provide proper funding for public education.
Your demand that public schools find more ‘efficiencies’, while at the same time increasing funding
to private schools is eroding our public education system, The current funding formula for public
education is reinforcing the class system that public education was meant to eradicate. ‘The Board
of Education of SD68 and our education partners look forward to a day when this government
recognizes the value and importance of public education and begins to fund it accordingly.
Yours try,
Stove Rac Mike Ball
SD 68 Board Chair NDTA President
‘5 Waki Aver, Nei, BC VIR AKE | Fave 250711 S88 | Hu 2507415909 | incon | wom cnNANAIMO LADYSMITH From the Board of Education
PUBLIC SCHOOLS Email: BoardOFEdueation@sd68.be.ca
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Rob Zver Brian Hackwood
CUPE President ‘Chair, District Administrative Services
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Wd Le lour-Coopu
Joy Bremner Inga Nielsen-Cooper
Mid Island Metis Nation Education Rep TTillicum Lelum Aboriginal Friendship
Centre Education Rep
William Hargreaves Nancy Seward
Stz/uminus FN Education Rep Snuneymuxw FN Education Rep
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Patti Rdwards 0” BeAatl eo Nantoole Foe Me au dee.
Snaw-Naw-As FN Education Rep
Cc: Premier Christy Clark
Minister Fassbender
MLA Rob Fleming,
MLA Leonard Krog
MLA Doug Routley
95 Wat Aeon, Nanna, BC VORSKS | Chane 2507413258 | Pa 29074 S50 | neste | ww seen