The province doled out $1.1 million this week for mould remediation at Howe Sound Secondary School, but the funds won't help the school district in its struggling to make ends meet.
Nancy Edwards, Sea to Sky School District treasurer, confirmed the school district is facing a funding shortfall going into budget talks, which means Sea to Sky School trustees will have to make cuts to stay out of the red.
Edwards said that although provincial government funding has increased, the money is not sufficient to cover items such as teacher salaries and inflation.
"It is too early to tell what will need to be cut but we are in budget meetings," Edwards said. "We are aiming to have the budget finished by the end of April."
And John Hall, Howe Sound Teachers Assocation (HSTA) president, is concerned cost-saving measures may see principals spending more time in the classroom.
While the school district struggles, West Vancouver-Garibaldi MLA Joan McIntyre announced Tuesday (March 31) funding to repair and prevent water damage at Howe Sound Secondary School.
"Our government understands that we need swift action to stimulate the economy. That is why we are fast-tracking projects like the Howe Sound Secondary remediation work to help support families and communities during these challenging economic times," stated McIntyre in a press release.
The funding announcement is nothing but frustrating for Hall.
"In a year when they have actually cut back on funding, these announcements are frustrating," Hall said. "It's frustrating to see the provincial government giving the impression they are supporting the education system when in reality something else is happening."
With an election around the corner, Hall said, announcements of this sort are probably politically motivated. According to Hall, the $1.1 million for Howe Sound Secondary repairs is long overdue.
"The district is actually reeling from this funding crisis. I don't think having our children and teachers in healthy buildings should be considered a bonus," Hall said. "These are basic needs."
In the meantime, Hall said, the district is scrambling. He said funding for daily physical activity was also cut a long time ago. And, he added, rumours have been flying about principals teaching part-time on top of existing duties.
The idea of principals teaching part time is not new, said Edwards, and many principals in the district teach as part of their existing workflow.
"A lot of our principals have always taught and I expect they will continue to do so," she said. " In the meantime the budget process is ongoing."
Edwards said it is too early in the budget process to predict what will be cut in the Sea to Sky Corridor.
"We are just going through the budget line by line to identify ways we can cut back," Edwards said.
The Sea to Sky School District is one of many in the province facing a funding crisis. The Vancouver School board is looking at big cuts to administration positions and vice principals.
In the meantime, work on Howe Sound Secondary is expected to begin in July, creating seven jobs during remediation of the building envelope, which will repair and prevent water leakage and resulting mould damage.
