School districts face money woes
Annual budgets are proving to be the usual challenge in all four of the capital region’s school districts.
The Greater Victoria district, by far the region’s largest with over 18,600 students, is looking at a $1.8-million deficit in 2014-15, with the help of one-time carry-forward of funds of $6.3 million easing a structural or ongoing shortfall of about $8.1 million. The district also cut $1.7 million by reducing spending on school supplies. Budget approval is set for April 23.
The Sooke school district, next in size at 8,500 students, faces a $3.3-million deficit in 2014-15, up from a $900,000 shortfall this year.
“Our costs have gone up significantly,” said Sooke district superintendent Jim Cambridge. A jump was anticipated, but the size of the deficit is something of a surprise, he said. The overall budget total remains steady at $82 million.
As in some other districts, the Sooke deficit is the result of such things as higher B.C. Hydro rates and a wage increase for the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Cambridge said. “We’re hoping any other wage increases from the province are funded, but they may not be.”
Pension costs for support workers and teachers, premium costs for the district’s insurer and premium costs for the Employee and Family Assistance Program are also up.
“Basically, all of our premium costs have gone up,” Cambridge said.
The Saanich school dis- trict, just slightly smaller than Sooke at about 8,000 students and with a budget of approximately $72 million, has “budget pressures” totalling $3.1 million, said secretarytreasurer Monica Schulte.
Some of the pressures are the same as in the Sooke district, and Saanich is also dealing with an $895,000 decline in its operating grant from the province, according to Saanich budget documents.
The Saanich budget is due to be finalized April 30. Sooke trustees are aiming for budget approval at their May 27 board meeting.
With about 1,700 students, the Gulf Islands school district has a budget of just under $20 million. Superintendent Lisa Halstead said she is optimistic about efforts to deal with a number of cost pressures. The plan is to approve the 2014-15 budget at the May 14 school board meeting on Mayne Island.
Cambridge said efforts will be made to soften the effects of any cuts in the Sooke district. “We’re trying to keep them away from classrooms, that’s always a challenge,” he said. “We’re trying to keep them away from staff, again a challenge.”
Cambridge said the district has a budget-management team that looks at ways to save money, a team that includes teachers, members of CUPE, principals, vice-principals and parents. “The district has faced big shortfalls in the past, but in the recent past, we’ve done quite well in managing it.”
School districts in B.C. must file balanced budgets by June 30.