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YOUR SOURCE FOR LOCAL SPORTS, NEWS, WEATHER AND ENTERTAINMENT! WWW.DELTA-OPTIMIST.COM The Voice of Delta since 1922 FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2014
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District facing $3M shortfall
Excited about spring!
Despite a modest increase in enrollment, more cuts proposed for next school year BY
SANDOR GYARMATI
sgyarmati@delta-optimist.com
PHOTO BY
BILL BENNETT
Brenna can’t contain her excitement now that the daffodils are in bloom at the North Forty Dog Park in East Ladner. Maggie also enjoys walking at the site of the old Vancouver Wireless Station, but is more subdued about it.
although the service was maintained for special needs students. A further $200,000 cut this year won’t eliminate service for those students but it will mean fewer buses and longer rides to school. The district is also looking for increased revenue from its International Student Program to help balance the books.
The Delta school district is facing another round of cuts despite a projected increase in enrollment. The district was scheduled to publicly release today the proposed 2014/15 operating budget, which projects a $3.28 million shortfall. For the first time in many years, the district is actually projecting there will be more students in the system come September, although that increase is expected to be modFILE PHOTO est at between 25 and Delta school trustees will host a budget meeting 50. After years of at their Ladner offices next Tuesday to hear input decline, the district cur- from the public. rently has about 15,200 students. Meanwhile, the school district The district will still be in the has $14 million in surplus funds, red due to a number of factors, but notes that money is an “interincluding increased salaries and nally restricted surplus” reserve employee benefits, higher utility earmarked for educational purcosts and the carrying forward poses such as district-wide techof a $1.36 million shortfall from nology upgrades, early learning, 2013/14. aboriginal programs, equipment To make up for the deficit, the and desks. school board proposes $1.78 milRoughly $2 million of the lion in cuts, including eliminating total is school-generated money, more than 10 full-time teaching raised by parents for such items positions. Reductions are also as library or classroom supplies, proposed for English language books and athletic equipment at assistance and support for stutheir respective schools. dents with special needs. The district is taking $1.5 Other proposed cuts include million from its surplus as “onereducing one trades position, non- time” funding to help balance the school clerical staff and just over budget. $84,000 in non-salaried school A public input meeting on the board administration costs. proposed budget will take place at Due to provincial cuts, the the school board’s administration school district last year eliminated offices in Ladner on Tuesday at its busing program for rural areas, 7:30 p.m.
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