The Chinook's Edge School Division has deferred spending on capital equipment, transportation and maintenance in approving its $124 million 2014-15 budget, say officials.
“It's a deficit budget where we are spending close to a million more than we are bringing in,” superintendent Kurt Sacher told the Gazette. “Our reserves are becoming depleted. For next spring's budget, we are most hopeful that there will be an improvement. The last budget that came through the bottom line we were down more than $3 million and that had a significant impact on the school division. We are hoping to see some improvement because the path we are on is not sustainable.
“Our reserves will bottom out and then what you have to do is reduce services to schools and classrooms and then people really begin to see the pinch.”
The budget, which was passed on May 28, is a proposal for spending for the next school year.
The division has found efficiencies, including with a new allocation model for schools, “but once you've spent that reserve you have to cut that much more,” he said.
Treasurer Susan Roy added: “Overall, Chinook's Edge developed the 2014-2015 budget through spending reductions, delaying capital purchases and using a portion of reserves in order to balance the budget. Although we anticipate slight enrolment growth, any additional student grants will be immediately directed to the accompanying increase expenses.
“We can make this budget work for the short term, but after multiple years of budget cutbacks, we cannot sustain these types of budget challenges into subsequent years without feeling a significant impact on services to students and other key areas.”
Chinook's Edge has been voicing concerns to Alberta Education, said Sacher.
“We continue to invite MLAs to come and speak with our board and we get fairly regular interactions with the minister and when we have the next opportunity to do that we will be voicing our concerns about what seems to be a bit of chronic underfunding,” said Sacher.
