Government funding ‘totally unacceptable’
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Updated: September 06, 2009 11:44 PM
Editor:
A voice of appreciation to Melissa Lampman and the KTW editorial staff for their coverage of the current B.C. financial disasters, especially those related to public education.
It is extremely frustrating, as a school trustee, when the financial status is a moving target.
Here are some facts to consider:
n Public education is solely funded by taxpayers and 99.9 per cent of funding is distributed by the provincial government.
n School districts cannot submit a deficit budget.
n B.C. public-education facilities are generally old and maintenance is mandatory to ensure buildings are safe and usable.
n The Kamloops-Thompson school district had $454,000 remaining and ready in its annual facilities-grant budget on March 31 (the date referenced by the Ministry of Education determining June 30 year-end surplus).
n In order to ensure maximum productivity and efficiency of limited tax dollars, we schedule annual maintenance for July and August each and every year based on receiving a total of $3.3-million in annual facilities grant monies (approximately one-half of our professional engineer staff estimates of required dollars).
n All summer contractors will be paid, but no tenders and subsequent contracts will be tendered in the summer of 2010.
There is no money as a result of being shorted by this government of $2.2 million of the $3.3 million we have annually received for years.
The Kamloops-Thompson board of education will be working with the B.C. School Trustees Association to support 57 of 60 school districts that have lost major dollars due to random acts of fiscal irresponsibility committed by the B.C. Liberals.
We recognize the current negative provincial and global economies and we also recognize improvement to our physical plant is an economic support to Kamloops and the region on behalf of safe, healthy and positive learning conditions for our students and staff.
I appreciate the support from parents and citizens and will include it with our efforts.
In addition, the board of education is already prudently undertaking a major review of the district, primarily due to declining enrolment and recognition we no longer can afford to operate buildings for 22,000 with a current enrolment of approximately 14,000.
We need to maximum student opportunity and reduce our costs.
Our district taxpayers have not benefited locally with their fair share of tax dollars.
Kamloops-South Thompson Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger himself was amazed SD73 has not received one additional tax dollar since before 2001.
I agreed then and I agree still — it is totally unacceptable.
Annette Glover
trustee,
finance committee chairwoman
School District 73
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