The Upper Grand District School Board has approved a balanced 2009-10 school year budget – despite facing ongoing declining enrollment, increasing costs, and a difficult provincial economic situation.
“This is a good News budget,” said board chairman Bob Borden. “Although the province has reduced funding for textbooks, classroom computers, and staff development, we managed to find savings in other areas to ensure that these things are well supported.”
The operating budget totals $290.4-million and covers salaries and benefits for teachers, educational assistants, textbooks, and classroom supplies, and other classroom expenditures as categorized by the government. It also funds school secretaries, administration, operations, and trustee expenses which are considered non-classroom costs. The accommodation budget of $20,076,475 is designated for capital and building renewal costs. Operational savings were found by closing the board’s Silvercreek education centre, which housed the Terry James resource library, as well as the information technology department, and moving the staff to the renovated Guelph board office facility.
Eliminating the lease cost of $300,000 annually for that space, and reducing transportation costs by $40,000 through an RFP process for school bus contracts means the effect of government cuts to textbooks and classroom computers was mitigated.
There has been some local protest about that Request For Proposal process, and county council has decided to ask the provincial government to delay further bids for school bus routes because they are being won by multi-national corporations to the detriment of smaller local bus companies.
“We were also able to provide additional funds for school budgets which have suffered from cut backs in previous years. We heard the principals loud and clear when they asked us not to cut their budgets again,” Borden said.
Ministry grants to the board were up 3.4% over the previous year, which covers the costs of the salary increases for staff negotiated earlier this year under the provincial framework agreements.
