05) VANCOUVER TRUSTEES ADOPT COMPLIANCE AND NEEDS BUDGETS

(The following article is from the May 16-30, 2009, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St., Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

PV Vancouver Bureau

Vancouver's school trustees have approved two 2009/10 operating budgets - a $484 million "compliance" budget containing $7.12 million in spending reductions, and a $524 million "needs" budget outlining the actual needs of students and staff in the district.

     "It is with regret and under duress that this board approved the reductions in order to balance our compliance budget within our provincially allocated funding, as we are legally required to do," said Vancouver School Board chair Patti Bacchus on April 30.

     But within days of the budget vote, the complex nature of school board finances impacted Grandview Elementary, a low-income east-side school where half the students are Aboriginal. Much to their dismay, parents, students, and staff heard that three "non-enrolling" teachers would be cut, dramatically reducing the school's ability to support special needs students in particular. A protest march and rally was quickly organized for Mother's Day, May 10.

     The layoff news was also a shock to the majority of progressive trustees on the VSB, who are solidly opposed to cuts which affect Aboriginal education. Three of them joined the May 10 demonstration, where COPE's Jane Bouey brought a message of solidarity to the community and pledged that the trustees would continue to make support for special needs students a priority.

     The seven trustees from Vision and COPE on the nine-member board say that to restore programs and services back to 2001/02 levels would require a funding increase of at least $40 million. The situation is similar across the province. While the Campbell government increased education spending in its 2009/10 budget by $84 million, costs for school boards will rise by about $158 million, leaving a $73 million shortfall for this year alone.

     Rather than cut the overall total number of classroom positions, the progressive majority on the VSB found ways to reduce spending on administration, supplies and building maintenance. Some consultants employed in administration will return to teaching duties in schools. Unfortunately, the shortfall does mean that many desperately needed teaching positions will not be filled.

     "Nobody will be getting a pink slip," said Bacchus. "We will manage the reductions through retirement and we won't be filling positions we intended to fill. We had to make the front line our absolute priority. We needed to make sure what we did would have the least impact on children."

     While the COPE and Vision trustees backed both budgets, the two NPA trustees were opposed. The right-wing NPA also resists efforts to advocate for increased provincial funding.

     Earlier this spring, the three COPE trustees had called for a BC budget that puts education front and centre. Bouey, who is also VSB vice-chair, said the provincial budget should concentrate support for social investments such as education. "Our government in Victoria keeps talking about keeping BC strong, but cutting education every year just doesn't make sense," Bouey warned.

     Long-time COPE trustee Al Blakey noted that while the provincial government can pass a law allowing them to run a deficit budget, the VSB does not have the same luxury. And COPE's Allan Wong added, "If today's students are paying for tomorrow's debt, we need to make sure the budget helps their future. A good first step would be putting an end to these annual school board budget cuts."

     Glen Hansman, president of the Vancouver Elementary School Teachers Association (VESTA), said "The province's funding formula and chronic underfunding of school boards is hitting ESL students and children with special needs the worst. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the VSB's budget."

    "Teachers in Vancouver do not blame the trustees for this situation," said Hansman. "Unfortunately, what the Ministry of Education provides in grants has not kept up with inflation, nor does it recognize the true costs of running an urban school district with diverse needs like Vancouver."

     Hansman pointed to the Ministry's five-year-cap on funding for ESL students as a major problem. "Per-student funding for ESL students has not increased in 11 years," he said. "And the money that is received is limited to an ESL learner's first five years of support. Not all ESL students are able to master the nuances of the English language in five years!"

     He also noted that the VSB only receives $16,000 per student with autism. That dollar amount has not increased in six years, and only pays for about half a Special Education Assistant.

      "What about the rest of the cost involved with providing children with autism with proper support?" asks Hansman. "The VSB spends twice the amount of special education service than it receives from the government."