While SD 43 passed a compliance budget like other districts, it also submitted a “needs” budget. Secretary Treasurer Rick Humphreys reported that an additional $26.7 million would be required for the Tri-Cities Board alone ($534 million province-wide) to restore district services to 2001 levels.
A comparison of the 2001 and 2010 provincial Budgets showed that while overall provincial spending has increased by 39% since 2001, the Education budget has only increased by 8.1%. This has resulted in the percentage of the provincial budget spent on education declining by 22.3%.
Download the SD 43 Needs budget here.
In the news
CBC News: Coquitlam considers school bus user fees
CBC News
May 12, 2010
The Coquitlam School Board is considering having parents pay for school bus rides for their children.
Melissa Hyndes, the chair of School District 43, which covers Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody, Belcarra and Anmore, said the school trustees have ordered a report on the proposal. Read more
Coquitlam Now: Spring break extended to balance school budget
May 7, 2010
Things will be longer and leaner next year at Tri-Cities schools after School District 43 trustees unanimously passed budget recommendations Tuesday.
Spring break will be one week longer, extending from March 21 to April 1, 2011. Schools will also be closed on Friday, Nov. 12 to create a four-day weekend following Remembrance Day.
This move will save District 43 about $480,000 in staffing costs, mainly from not having to pay substitute teachers during the extra days off. Read more
The TriCities News: Holidays will not enhance education, says SD43 chair
April 29, 2010
By Diane Strandberg – The Try-City News
The decision to add six more holidays to the school calendar to save six to 10 jobs won’t necessarily enhance education for kids, says the chair of School District 43’s board of education.
Melissa Hyndes said trustees will be making a purely financial decision if they vote next week to lengthen spring break and create a Remembrance Day long weekend. Read more
The Tri-City News: SD facing $4.1M deficit
April 8, 2010
By Diane Strandberg – The Try-City News
School District 43 is considering adding more holidays to the school calendar next year in an effort to cut a projected $4.1 million deficit.
If approved at next week’s school board meeting, adding a week to spring break and an extra day after Remembrance Day this fall will cut almost $500,000 from the 2010/2011 budget. The savings comes from a reduction in the number of substitute teachers required for those days. Read article
The Tri-City News: Teachers plead to save programs from cuts
April 8, 2010
By Diane Strandberg – The Tri-City News
Teachers are concerned that continued funding pressures are resulting in school library closures and cuts to music programs, home economics classes and fewer opportunities for students to try out engaging and life-skill-providing non-academic courses.
Dozens of librarians, home economics, middle school Explorations and music teachers crowded Winslow Centre Tuesday night to make a plea that their programs be saved. Read article
The Tri-City News: Cash crunch is coming
25 February, 2010
Diane Strandberg – Tri-Cities News
“School District 43 is bracing for bad news when the provincial budget is delivered next month.
With Victoria’s revenues in decline and cost pressures mounting, SD43 is anticipating a $14.3-million shortfall in its budget and trustees are considering a letter campaign and other strategies to make people more aware of the education funding issue….” Read the story
Contact Tri-cities MLAs
MLA Iain Black, Port Moody-Coquitlam (BC Liberal)
- Email: iain.black.mla@leg.bc.ca
- Constituency office: 203 – 130 Brew Street, Port Moody, V3H 0E3, Telephone: 604 949-1226
MLA Douglas Thorne, Coquitlam-Burke Mountain (BC Liberal)
- Email: douglas.thorne.mla@leg.bc.ca
- Constituency office: 203 – 130 Brew Street, Port Moody, V3H 0E3, Telephone: 604 949-1424
MLA Diane Thorne, Coquitlam-Maillardville (NDP)
- Email: diane.thorne.mla@leg.bc.ca
- Constituency office: 102 – 1108 Austin Avenue, Coquitlam, V3K 3P5, Telephone: 604 933-2001
MLA Mike Farnworth, Port Coquitlam (NDP)
- Email: mike.farnworth.mla@leg.bc.ca
- Constituency office: 107A – 2748 Lougheed Highway, Port Coquitlam, V3B 6P2, Telephone: 604 927-2088
