New Westminster School District's day is almost done
Re: ‘Yea’ for School District 40 (Letters, NewsLeader, Jan. 4)
I need to clarify why School District 40 should be dissolved.
We have been dealing with the school issue for 15 years now. Good money has been spent for surveys, drawings, discussions … and still don’t have a viable plan for the high school.
One thing I would like to clear up with Mr. Pomper is that I am not dissatisfied with the teaching going on and I have a deep respect for what the staff at all our schools have to put up with. I also have had children go through the New West school system and back then we were dealing the same issues as today.
To say amalgamation with Burnaby would result in us not having fair representation is ridiculous. It would not be in the best interest of Burnaby to ignore the needs of what should be former district 40.
From a financial perspective alone it doesn’t make sense to continue as we are.
We already have cross-border students in both Byrne Creek as well as NWSS.
Administration cost savings alone would be significant. Let’s also remember that just because we leave district 40 doesn’t mean all the money disappears—it would still be available but with a larger tax base. My question really would be, does Burnaby want us with our education debt?
New West school trustee Casey Cook has told us in no uncertain terms that the request from the province to reduce our already strapped cash flow for education can’t happen since we already have an annual deficit of $2 million-plus, and this should be the writing on the wall to all that think School District 40 is no longer viable.
We can still vote for those involved from the New West system should they decide to run in the Burnaby district, and it isn’t as if we won’t have a say.
The reasons for amalgamating are financial, and have nothing to do with historical value or whether we are happy with the education our kids are getting in New Westminster.
While Mr. Pomper makes a valid point about a community having a say or control over issues, education is not municipal.
It is provincial and from a fiscal perspective SD40 has reached the end of an era. We don’t have the money and it looks like we won’t.
There comes a time in everyone’s life where truth isn’t pleasant but given our financial resources available, the 15-year track record, trustee issues and administration costs, you’d have to be wearing blinders not to see the writing on the wall.
John Unger
New Westminster
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