The work is part of a three month long transit that takes input from a range of participants and stakeholders in education, all while working with the financial limitations that come from provincial funding on education.
Along the way those that participate in the process gain a better understanding of the challenges that SD52 faces as the members of the Board work towards their early April deadline for creation of the budget for the year ahead.
There have already been two sessions of consultation towards the budget considerations, a public information session on February 5th and a stakeholder input session held last night.
At the February 5th session the School District outlined some of the data towards Budget considerations, included in the information was a look at the current budget for 2018-19 to help frame the challenges that the District has to consider.
The level of enrolment was also part of the presentation with some background provided as to how that impacts on funding from the Ministry and how the School District can allocate its financial resources.
When it comes to the school enrolment the District noted that it has steadied a bit but is still in decline, though Board officials also observed that with some large scale industrial projects on the horizon for the region, the prospect of a reverse of some of those declines could be seen in the future.
As for the options for 2019-20, the District outlined four scenarios that could be considered as they work towards finishing the budget making process, as well as some of the uncertainties that can arise to make for changes to the financial planning.
You can review the full slide show presentation from the District here.
Towards gathering more information from the public, the School District is conducting a survey,
The survey starts with a question for respondents as to rank four options according to the priority that they would give them as far as spending might be delivered. The four areas of note are: Instruction, District Administration, Operations and Maintenance and Transportation.
Participants are then asked to offer opinions as to how important that they consider some of the key element of the District services.
The eight options include: Regular instruction, career programs, Library Services, Counselling, Special Education, English Language Learning, Aboriginal Education and School Administration.
With close to 86 percent of the budget allocated towards salaries and benefits, the School District is looking for feedback on whether they should decrease, increase or keep spending the same in a number of other areas of spending.
The categories to be reviewed by survey participants include: Services, Student Transportation, Professional Development and Travel, Rentals and Leases, Dues and Fees, Insurance, Supplies and Utilities.
The Board also asks for advice on what resources are required to achieve their goals towards Enhancing Student Learning, those goals are focused on reading, numeracy, exploring big ideas, belonging, relationships and pro-Social skills.
One of the final questions relates to an expected decrease in funding from the Ministry of Education for the 2019-20 school year and the District asks for specific suggestions that the public may have when it comes to ways that they can reduce spending in the year ahead.
Survey participants can also provide for any other comments that they would like to see Trustees consider as they work towards finishing their budget work for the year.
You can make your views known on the themes here
The Deadline for participation in the survey is February 25th.
The remaining steps towards the conclusion of the budget process will include a Report for the public that summarizes the input that the School District has received, with that to take place on March 11th...
If all goes according to plan, the members of the School Board will vote to approve the budget plan at their Board meeting of April 9th.
You can find more items of note on education at SD52 here.
A wider overview of education across the Northwest is available here.
Cross posted from the North Coast Review.
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