Richmond - The Editor, Re: "Hands off our $26 million," News, April 30. As a former school trustee, I share the agony and frustration of the Richmond Board of Education.
Richmond - The Editor, Re: "Hands off our $26 million," News, April 30. As a former school trustee, I share the agony and frustration of the Richmond Board of Education.Most of the issues at stake are not new: That the Ministry of Education did not provide adequate funding to cover pay increases negotiated by the government; downloaded its responsibilities to local boards; and kept calling reserve funds in local school districts "surpluses" to be clawed back.The latest attack on local boards is the Ministry's unilateral decision to require school districts to share up to 50 per cent of the costs for major capital projects.How could this be possible when school districts already have to cut services? The Richmond school trustees should be commended for their many years of prudent fiscal management so that the negative impact of inadequate funding on students has been relatively light in comparison to other school districts.But the adverse effects of this new policy will be too great for any local board to bear. In 2013, the province collected over $103 million (after adjustment) from school tax in Richmond and provided $172 million to fund the school district's K-12 education program.In other words, Richmond taxpayers have already contributed to 60 per cent of the expenses to educate their children. It is unconscionable that the school district be asked to come up with money they do not have to pay extra for capital projects which are the Ministry's responsibility.I urge the provincial government to reverse its decision and guarantee that education funds for our children be protected.Coun. Chak AuRichmond
