Vancouver School Board facing record budget shortfall

B.C.’s biggest school board is once again complaining of a record budget shortfall.

The Vancouver School Board says it need more than $27 million, which is $3 million more than they had been warning about just last month.

Among the suggested cuts, allowing more than 30 students in some classrooms, eliminating the optional band and strings program at the elementary level, and lots of staff and teacher cuts.

Declining enrolment and the high cost of upgrading and replacing aging school buildings gets some of the blame, but the board says the provincial government needs to spend more on education.

“We are constantly getting downloads from the Ministry of Education,” said VSB Chair Mike Lombardi. “MSP premiums, hydro premiums, the cost of administrator salary increases, the cost of support staff increases.”

No schools will be closed at this time, but VSB school enrolment is on the decline.

The board has no choice but to cut services and staff as it must balance its budget.

The education minister was not available for an interview, but did issue a statement saying, “The VSB’s failure to deal with under-capacity schools over the years means taxpayers are paying an extra $37 million a year funding empty seats instead of education.”