School districts warn of teacher layoffs and school closures
Around the province, school officials say they will enter 2010-11 budget deliberations with trepidation because small increases in provincial education grants are expected to be insufficient to cover the rising cost of teacher salaries, pensions, medical service premiums, BC Hydro and carbon neutrality.
Complaints about inadequate education funding aren't new, but this year trustees are sounding desperate.
"This year is a totally different story," Victoria board chair Tom Ferris said in an interview. "The cupboard is bare."
Prince George chair Lyn Hall said his district is reviewing all of its operations as it searches for ways of balancing next year's budget. Simply providing the same services next year that are offered this year would cost $7 million more.
"We're going to see the district look much different at the start of 2010," he said in an interview before a board meeting Tuesday night to consider a report from the district sustainability committee. Hall said he had not yet seen the report, but a copy leaked to The Vancouver Sun included recommendations for 13 school closures as well as school reconfigurations and boundary changes.
Prince George closed 14 schools between 2002 and 2003 to deal with declining enrolments and budget restraints.
"The financial challenge faced by School District 57 [Prince George] is undeniable and enormous," the six-page report says. "At the same time, the board expects that the learning needs of our students need to not only be met, but, wherever possible, enhanced."
Hall said he was expecting angst and anxiety as trustees considered drastic action. "I went through this in 2002 and 2003 and it impacts the entire district. It impacts communities, families. We have about 1,600 staff and I'm sure they're all wondering what this report has in it."
Several other districts are also considering school closures, including Kamloops-Thompson, where the future of half a dozen schools is being reviewed, Langley, North Vancouver, Kootenay-Columbia and the Sunshine Coast. Alberni is considering closing the only elementary school in Ucluelet.
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows trustees have already voted to close two schools.
In Vancouver, letters warning of potential layoffs were delivered to 800 teachers in keeping with a collective agreement that requires advance notice. Although final decisions won't be made until after the education ministry announces the size of district operating grants in March, board chair Patti Bacchus said layoffs are a real possibility.
Vancouver hasn't laid off teachers since 2004, but this year it's facing a shortfall of $17.5 million to $36.3 million.
"If the provincial government fails to live up to its commitment to protect education and to fund the increased costs ... we will be looking at a shortfall that will be comparable to the one in 2003," Bacchus said.
Richmond is also warning of potential job losses as it begins discussing its 2010-11 budget. "Early estimates are that the shortfall could be $5 to $9 million, large enough to result in significant staff layoffs," the district says in a public notice on its website.
Even wealthy West Vancouver is in a pinch. It's warning parents that it's "entering a very difficult budget year" as it tries to find more than $1 million in savings.
NDP education critic Robin Austin said talk of teacher layoffs is disturbing because it indicates that cuts that began several years ago are now reaching the classroom. "When you're talking about the possible layoff of hundreds of teachers you realize that the school districts have got nothing left to cut."
He said he hopes the Liberal government will provide a substantial increase in education funding in its March budget. "The increases in per-pupil funding have not covered the costs," he said. "It's broken and it's going to drastically affect our children."
Austin offered no suggestions about the source of any substantial increase, saying that's up to government.
Asked about the school district complaints, Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid said her government has been steadily increasing education funding despite steadily declining enrolments. This year, funding climbed by $84 million to $4.55 billion even while enrolments have been falling. There are 56,000 fewer students in public K-12 schools than there were when the Liberals came to power in 2001.
Boards of education received a bit of good news last week when the government announced that schools, colleges and universities would be eligible for a rebate on the harmonized sales tax when it takes effect in July.
By Janet Steffenhagen Vancouver Sun, January 20, 2010