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School board surplus means extra teachers

An extra $438,861 in the Howe Sound School District's budget for the 2003/2004 year has made room for more teaching staff at three Squamish elementary schools this year.

An extra $438,861 in the Howe Sound School District's budget for the 2003/2004 year has made room for more teaching staff at three Squamish elementary schools this year.

Squamish Elementary, Brackendale Elementary and Garibaldi Highlands Elementary schools are will have more staff than the district originally budgeted thanks to the surplus, said Nancy Edwards, the school board's secretary-treasurer.

"The additional teachers will keep class sizes at the legislated level," Edwards said.

Nearly $300,000 of the $438,861 paid for the teachers' salaries. The rest of the surplus will be sent to schools in the district, but Edwards couldn't say what the money would go towards until the schools were notified.

School District No. 48 had an overall surplus for the 2003/2004 year of nearly $1.5 million. But $1.1 million of that money was tied up in restricted costs which include things like professional development, and long term saving for items like new computer labs or photocopiers.The school board also faces an increased cost in teacher wages. As teachers gain seniority, their wages go up.

Teachers are aging and their benefits are increasing, said Edwards.

The average cost of wages went up $1,600 per teacher this year, she said. "That's eaten up more than 50 per cent of the surplus."

The school board has also been able to hire more international teaching staff because of increased international student revenue, Edwards said.

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