After slicing every expense and position it could, the New Westminster board of education heard Tuesday night that it squeaked into the black by just $22,000 on its $62-million preliminary budget for next year.
Secretary-treasurer Al Balanuik told trustees that in light of the many staff layoffs - about 60 in total - and service and supply cuts, the district has managed to offset a roughly $5.2 million deficit for the 2013/14 school year. However, the district still owes $2.8 million from last year and is facing a possible $1.2 million deficit this year. The small surplus on next year's budget does not factor in repayment for either of those shortfalls.
The board of education made a series of sweeping cuts at its May 28 meeting.
After Balanuik's update this week, trustee Lisa Graham wanted to speak to the board's decision to cut 27 special education assistants (more than 19 teaching positions, 10 support staff, and three administrative positions were also cut). Graham and trustee Jonina Campbell, who chaired the meeting, had a couple of testy moments. Graham wanted to discuss the cuts, while Campbell tried to move the meeting along.
"I still struggle with the SEA (cuts), I don't think it's a realistic number," said Graham, whose autistic son is a New Westminster Secondary School graduate. "I think the number is far too high.
"Why have we not looked at programs?" she asked.
Campbell tried to curtail Graham from commenting on an issue Campbell said wasn't on the agenda that night.
"I haven't been here for discussions," said Graham, who missed some board meetings recently as her father wasn't well and recently passed.
The board already voted on whether to cut special education assistants - Graham and trustee James Janzen voted against the cuts.
"None of the decisions have been easy, and no one wants to see any staff cuts," Campbell said. "We are at the point though to cut one staff member or to save one job is to cut another. ... There are no more options.
"We are not going to be making any decisions here," Campbell said, then looked toward the roughly six members of the public who attended the meeting.
"I want to give the public a chance to speak," Campbell said.
"It's not on the agenda right now. I'm not going to allow it," she told Graham.
Board chair Michael Ewen weighed in, saying," I understand it's frustrating for Lisa, but these are conversations we've had."
The budget also includes $900,000 for cost pressures, as suggested by consultant Joan Axford, who came in last fall to review the district's financial management. The provincial government is considering putting a tax on international revenue, which may take a chunk out of next year's profit, but enrolment is solid.
Another concern is the conversion costs from HST to GST/PST, Balanuik said.
He estimated the move would cost the district about $260,000.
"It's not clear to me," Cook says. "Let's have the discussion another time."
"Some good news one day, that would be great," Campbell said, laughing.
Balanuik responded, saying, "To me this is good news ... we are in the black."
