Did you go to the special budget meeting last week? Seems like we all should have as there are some new potential significant changes being faced by our School District who is trying to balance a very challenging budget for 2016/17!
Please see attached the notes from the School District's budget meeting of April 12th. But now there are greater challenges and, as parents, we can help support the School District's request that the Province supply more funds!!
Did you hear that the Province of BC approved some raises that they will not fund? From what we know, the Province is leaving it to the School Districts across BC to fund from their existing budget! Where is that going to come from when the District has been challenged for years to maximize the educational experience while facing decreasing funds year over year?
Did you hear the Province also mandated a change to the internet provider to all of the School Districts across BC that is 10X what they are paying now with NO additional financial support??
So, this amounts to about $1 Million that our School District now needs to pay out an already strained budget without minimizing the quality of education for our kids! Year over year, the District does its best to stretch the available funds to minimize any negative impact in our schools. All costs have gone up over the years, but the money from the Province has NOT! As in your home, for example, it costs more to heat that home, even if your household budget hasn't changed. Something else has to give! School District 63 has tried to manage these changes year over year without impacting the quality of our kids education. But another $1 Million???
The School District needs our support! Please write to the Minister of Education, the Honorable Mike Bernier, and thank him for how his ministry is helping Bayside get a new roof but ask what good is that if their educational experience is negatively impacted by shrinking budgets! Obviously, we are thankful for his attention to our roof issue but this imposition on the School District hits really hard and even more directly on our kids!
Show your support for School District 63 by emailing the Honorable Mike Bernier, Minister of Education at EDUC.minister@gov.bc.ca.
Don't forget to cc Dr. Keven Elder, Superintendent of SD63 at kelder@sd63.bc.ca and the Budget department at budget@sd63.bc.ca .
As parents who care about our kids education, we have a strong voice TOGETHER!
Thank you!
YOUR Bayside PAC