Chopping grants given to Parent Advisory Council by 50% is a "travesty" and will create have not schools within the district, says School District 43's board of education chair Melissa Hyndes.

Hyndes warned that parents will be asked to fundraise more to make up the difference in funds used to pay for playgrounds, equipment, computers, programs and supplies. "It causes inequities in schools when you've got different demographics," said Hyndes about the provincial government's decision to slash funding given to PACS to $10 per student, down from $20.

But the cut to PAC grants was only the tip of the iceberg for SD 43's funding woes. At a school board meeting Tuesday, trustees were handed a lengthy list of funding concerns that ranged from an anticipatory budget shortfall of $1.3 million for the new school year to clawbacks, new spending cuts and systemic problems that have plagued school budgets for years.

The only bright spot was news that the district managed to secure an "unqualified" rating from auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers for keeping school district financial records in order.

Otherwise the picture is gloomy as the school district tries to balance new expectations — such as all-day kindergarten slated to roll out next September and tougher green legislation that could cost the district$350,000 in carbon offsets next year — with more immediate concerns, such as how to keep schools in good repair with the elimination of a $5.3 million Annual Facilities Grant.

"Usually our funding is all known by March," said Secretary Treasurer Rick Humphries who took over the job of top beancounter for the district just as province is reeling from an unprecedented downturn in revenues. "There are a number of issues that we are not really sure about," Humphries added.

Among the unknowns is whether school districts will get relief from the Harmonized Sales Tax, which has so far been promised to municipalities, colleges and universities, and how the district is going to pay for an anticipated increase in MSP payments of $40,000 next year. Increases to MSP payments will be indexed to health costs, Humphries said, which could result in huge inflationary pressures to the the medical premiums in the future.

Wage increases haven't been fully funded either, Humphries said, and the district continues to pay more money for special education and transportation than it receives from the province.

One of the most notable examples of funding uncertainty was $200,310 the district was supposed to get to cover enrollment fluctuations at the end of June. The money was deposited in the district's bank account and then immediately withdrawn, before SD43's finance department even knew of its existence.

"By the time we identified the money, they took it back," Humphries said.

SD43 did get a boost in CommunityLink funding to support students in vulnerable schools of about $5,000, but Assistant Superintendent Julie Pearce said the increase doesn't meet the need. At $1.4 million, the program to provide lunches, youth workers and literacy programs for vulnerable students is much less than provided to other districts, many of them smaller than SD43.

Trustees expressed frustration with news of the district's financial situation and vowed to work with other boards to advocate for more funding, including sending letters to various ministries and local MLAs.

"These things directly effect students in our schools," chair Hyndes told the board.