OSOYOOS TIMES-May 26, 2010
By Laurena Weninger – Osoyoos Times
The board of School District 53 has given the go-ahead to make some cuts to balance the books for the 2010/2011 school year.
“It’s not dire, by any means,” said Richard Goodwein, secretary treasurer for the district, at the monthly board meeting on May 19.
District Superintendent Juleen McElgunn walked the board through a list of recommended cuts that will save the district $640,100.
The recommendations came out of a series of public forums held earlier this year, as well as from input by teachers and administration, and started out as a larger list of brainstormed ideas.
“This is all certainly well vetted by all parties. There are absolutely no surprises,” she said.
Top of the list is a reduction of about three full-time teaching positions, leading to a savings of $178,100.
This isn’t a cutback so much as a natural happening, McElgunn said, as the reduction is directly based on an expectation of fewer students enrolling in the district for next year.
The biggest staffing cut will happen with support personnel.
“CUPE is taking the larger share of the reduction,” McElgunn said.
Educational assistant reductions will trim $100,000, support positions will cut $96,000 and operations reductions will result in a savings of $20,000.
That means about 10 employees will lose their jobs, although those aren’t all full-time positions.
An estimated $50,000 will be saved by cutting supplies and services budgets at the district and school level.
Two portables – one at Osoyoos Secondary School and one in Okanagan Falls – will be closed, trimming $20,000.
The closure of several empty classrooms in Okanagan Falls will save another $15,000.
Late bus runs are being cancelled and bus runs will be reconfigured to the tune of $64,000 in savings.
The Aboriginal program budget will be trimmed by $42,000.
A coordinated calendar throughout the district for early dismissal days will save $11,000 and the assistant superintendent’s budget will be reduced by $44,000.
It’s going to lead to a balanced budget for the year, said Goodwein, adding that there will be a little bit of a safety net built in.
There will be a surplus that could be as high as $100,000, he said.
The budget is coming together more easily than expected, said Goodwein, for a couple of reasons.
One is a provincial program to help districts with declining enrolment.
District 53 will get close to $400,000 more than is directly due from the province with the projected enrolment numbers.
The second boost is a new policy tied to that funding protection, which will mean an extra “couple of hundred thousand” dollars will come to the district due to special needs students and increased enrolment after Sept. 30 of next year.
“Those two items have been a shot in the arm for the budget.”
McElgunn said other key areas of possible savings were raised through the brainstorming process and she suggested the board look at these areas and make a solid long-term plan for the next three to five years.
These areas include looking at shared-service opportunities with other districts, towns or the regional district; amalgamating schools such as Osoyoos Secondary and Southern Okanagan Secondary School; a look at further administrative cutbacks at school and district levels; a review of the family life program and budget and an exploration of possible transportation fees as well as corporate sponsorships.
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