2011
Upcoming Events
Special Budget Board Meeting
- Tuesday, June 28, 2011, 8 pm
- Saanich School Board Office
More info: Conferedation of Parent Advisory Councils of Saanich
Advocacy
Letter from Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils of Saanich
Thursday June 2, 2011
Saanich Students need your help
Dear Saanich School District Families,
We are very fortunate to live in a wonderful part of British Columbia and enrol our children in the Saanich public education school district of which we could all be proud.
Over the last ten years, our Saanich Board of Education and district executive have been managing our schools very well during a time of underfunding of public education and have balanced budgets using reserves and very significant budget cuts each year. Schools were closed, staffing reduced, efficiencies were made and everyone learned to manage with less, while still being as innovative and adaptive as possible.
However, at this time our Saanich Board of Education no longer believes the same budget strategy can continue without negatively impacting our students’ education, with more projected budget cuts this year and in the next few years to come. It has taken a new path and we ask that you now take a few minutes of your time to read the following information about the district budget, how it gets its money and how it spends. Read more
News
Victoria Times Colonist: School trustees stick to deficit budget
June 17, 2011
Jeff Bell, Times Colonist
Saanich school trustees are standing by their decision to go against the rules and present a deficit budget to the provincial government.
They first passed a deficit budget in late April, and a proposal to go with a balanced-budget bylaw instead was turned down this week by a vote of 4-3. Legislation calls for boards of education to submit balanced budget documents by June 30.
Instead, the Saanich board of education voted to send in a “budget plan” that includes an extra $2.7 million “to restore programs and services that we have reduced in the past, and to avoid any additional cuts,” said board vice-chairwoman MaryLynne Rimer.
That puts the total budget at $73,643,888, down slightly from the late-April budget due to some money that has come in since then.
“We’re very concerned about the negative and compounding effects of our ongoing reductions in our budget over time,” Rimer said.
She said the 2011-12 budget was thoroughly vetted by groups of parents, teachers, administrators and staff.
“I think what we’re saying as a board is we don’t want to make any further reductions. We already feel we’ve made all the reductions we possibly can in our district.”
Education Minister George Abbott said the apparent course of action being taken by the Saanich board is a “significant concern.” Read more
Global News: Saanich board defies law, submits deficit budget
By Janet Steffenhagen, Vancouver Sun
April 28, 2011
A Vancouver Island board of education has voted to defy provincial law and submit a deficit budget for 2011-12, saying it just couldn’t cut more services for students.
“It was difficult,” Helen Parker, chairwoman of the Saanich board of education, said of the decision to approve a $2.8-million deficit. “But we’re doing what we’re doing for the kids.”
In an interview, Parker said the district has taken many steps to reduce expenditures and increase local revenues, including expanding its international student program, boosting fees for transportation and raising rental rates for school facilities. It’s also approved spending cuts worth $8.3 million over the past three years.
But this year, facing the prospect of more service cuts, a majority of board members decided enough is enough.
“We’re a fiscally conservative board . . . we’re not a board that’s hugely rebellious,” Parker said. “(But) for some trustees, ethically, they just couldn’t do this anymore.” Read more
Peninsula News Review: Saanich schools face budget crunch
April 27, 2011
By Christine van Reewyk, Peninsula News Review
A balanced budget using reserves has the Saanich School Board worried about the future as enrolment continues to decline.
In the final stages of the budget process, the board of education presented its budget, and concerns to a couple dozen parents and staff at Bayside middle school.
For 2011/12, Saanich School District will receive funding protection for the decline in enrolment from the Ministry of Education.
“We appreciate the funding protection, but government has indicated that it cannot afford to maintain funding protection over the long term, and we estimate that district enrolment will decline by 694 students between 2011 and 2015 before it levels off at about 6,100 students,” said board chair Helen Parker.
They also used about $1.7 million in reserves, which only adds to the cuts of previous years, explained secretary-treasurer Joan Axford.
“There’s two issues that we face. One is a formula one because we have declining enrolment and the formula takes out too much for each student than what we can reduce in costs. The other is that the cost of public education is increased significantly more than the overall amount of money that the government has available,” Axford said. “In Saanich, since 2006, our revenue has only increased by $3.2 million from the province.”
In November, the Saanich Board of Education established six technical working groups to review all programs and services in Saanich School District. They found that the district spends its funds efficiently and effectively while a gap exists between what the district receives in funding and what is required to fully provide programs and services for students. Read more
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2010
On May 12, Saanich trustees faced the emotional task of approving $3.4 million in budget cuts for 2010.
Channel A News provided extensive coverage of the challenges facing Saanich and other Southern VI districts due to provincial underfunding in this May 12 news report:
News
Victoria Times Colonist: Saanich cuts teaching jobs
Jeff Bell, Times Colonist
May 14, 2010
The Saanich board of education is cutting teachers and other staff to deal with a $3.4-million deficit, but has rejected a proposal to extend spring break to two weeks from one, saying there’s no educational benefit.
The cuts will mean the loss of about 10 full-time equivalent teaching positions for 2010-11, and about five other positions, said board chairwoman Helen Parker. Read more
Victoria Times Colonist: Saanich school district cuts teacher, staff jobs to balance budget
Jeff Bell, Times Colonist
May 13, 2010
Victoria, B.C. – The Saanich board of education has decided to reduce the number of teachers and and other staff to deal with a $3.4-million deficit in order to submit a balanced 2010-11 budget to government.
The idea of extending the spring break to two weeks from one was rejected as not having an educational benefit for the cost savings. Read more
Peninsula News Review: Poor showing for school budget talks
Christine van Reeuwyk – Peninsula News Review
April 27, 12010
Two fewer staffers are on at the Saanich school board office, the first steps in cutting $3.4 million from the budget. Fewer than 100 people attended the public meeting last Wednesday for parents, staff and other interested community members to learn how the Saanich school district will go about meeting its budget this year — another year of shortfalls.
The Saanich school district is preparing its 2010/11 budget for adoption on May 5; it faces a shortfall of $3.4 million after adjustments for enrolment decline and full day kindergarten. Read more
Victoria Times Colonist: Shortfall brings a struggle
April 21, 2010
Re: “Education fight hints at change,” April 16.
The Saanich Board of Education is neither in a battle nor a war. As elected trustees and co-governors of public education, we have a responsibility to speak up on behalf of students, our communities and public education. We are proud of our collaborative relationships with all partner groups. Read more
Channel A News: Saanich School Board cuts
April 16, 2010
Peninsula News Review: Budget challenges ahead
March 23, 2010
The Saanich school district is facing a funding shortfall estimated at $3.1 million for the 2010-11 school year that may have impacts on students in the classroom.
School district official blame the shortfall on the provincial funding formula, which they say isn’t providing enough to pay for mandated programs and services.
Declining enrollment numbers in the district (for the seventh straight year) cutbacks made in previous years and cost pressures from the government that exceed funding amounts have all contributed.
“Government funding has failed to keep pace over time … with the costs of providing mandated programs and services,” said Saanich school board chair Helen Parker. Read article
Victoria Times Colonist: Saanich may cut more teachers
March 19, 2010
Jeff Bell – Victoria Times Colonist
More teacher layoffs could be in the cards for Saanich school district, where a projected budget shortfall of about $2.6 million in January has climbed to about $3.3 million.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for trustees after wrestling with a $3.6-million deficit in 2009-10 and laying off 24 teachers.
The Saanich board of education had hoped to steer clear of more teacher layoffs for 2010-11, but such a step remains a possibility, said chairwoman Helen Parker. A recently compiled list of $3.7 million in “reduction options” includes laying off about 13 full-time equivalent teachers — 3.2 per cent of the overall total — eight support staff and two exempt staff.
Administration, student services and special education could also take a hit, Parker said. “There’s a significant impact here on kids.” The prospect of taking days off the school calendar has been scuttled, she said.
Parker said news of allocation adjustments from the Education Ministry this week did nothing for the Saanich district. Read more
Contact local MLAs
MLA Murray Coell, Saanich North & Islands (BC Liberal)
- Email: murray.coell.mla@leg.bc.ca
- Constituency office: Suite F, 2412 Beacon Avenue, Sidney, V8L 1X4, Telephone: 250 655-5711
MLA Ida Chong, Oak Bay-Gordon Head (BC Liberal)
- Email: ida-chong.mla@leg.bc.ca
- Gordon Head constituency office: 219 3930 Shelbourne Street, Victoria, V8P 5P6, Telephone: 250 472-8528
MLA Lana Popham, Saanich South (NDP)
- Email: lana.popham.mla@leg.bc.ca
- Constituency office: 4085 Quadra St, Victoria, V8X 1K5, Telephone: 250 479-4154
