The Town of Osoyoos is considering the possibility of a grant to School District 53 conditional on keeping local schools open, but it’s not an option the town is eyeing with enthusiasm.

“I think it’s really an absolute last resort,” said Mayor Sue McKortoff, adding that she discussed the idea with Mark Pendergraft, chair and rural Osoyoos representative with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS).

McKortoff said the town can contribute, but if it involved borrowing, it would need to go to a referendum.

The school district faces a growing structural deficit currently at $530,000 due to declining enrolments throughout the district.

The provincial government’s funding formula is based on the number of students in the district. That deficit is expected to reach $1.4 million by the 2017-18 school year.

On Jan. 13, school trustees from other communities voted to consider making Osoyoos pay for this district-wide problem with the possible closure of either Osoyoos Secondary School (OSS) or Osoyoos Elementary School (OSE).

Of the two Osoyoos trustees, June Harrington voted against this decision and Marieze Tarr, as chair, didn’t vote.

“Mark (Pendergraft) and I both agreed that if we’re going to suggest to the school district that we would try and find some money to help them on this … why should it just be Osoyoos?” McKortoff said. “Why should it not be the district. It’s a district-wide concern.”

On Monday, council voted to lobby other communities in the district to determine their interest in providing municipal funding.

McKortoff added that some residents might object to this use of municipal funds to bail out the school district. As well, this could only be done for one year – not on an ongoing basis.

“I think it’s a really tricky issue,” she said. “It is something that is a possibility … but lots of people aren’t going to agree with that.”

She acknowledged that it would be difficult to get other communities in the district to contribute.

Barry Romanko, chief administrative officer with the Town of Osoyoos, agreed the town legally could provide such a grant and said he checked on this with the provincial government. Nonetheless, he has concerns about the idea and the province doesn’t encourage this approach.

“It’s a slippery slope,” he said. “There’s no doubt that one would have to take a look at the ramifications of something like that.”

While municipalities have the ability to set property tax rates to the level needed to meet budget needs, school districts have not had this power since the 1980s. Instead, municipalities collect property taxes on behalf of school districts at a rate determined by the provincial government – a rate that critics say leaves boards underfunded.

Any arrangement by the Town of Osoyoos to provide funding to help keep the schools open would require negotiation of a contractual agreement “that would have all kinds of terms and conditions that we haven’t even thought about,” Romanko said.

He added that the school district might philosophically have difficulties with a contractual arrangement with municipalities that might tie their hands.

Romanko agrees with McKortoff that Osoyoos alone shouldn’t provide funds to the school district.

“When we talk about a subsidy, schools are a regional service,” Romanko said. “So certainly Area A (of RDOS) would be impacted as well. And the deficit is a regional deficit, so why wouldn’t all communities share in some type of subsidy?”

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times