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By Caden Fanshaw

SD 57

Cuts to SD57 facilities staff taking toll on school upkeep: union

May 31, 2023 | 4:25 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — As trustees in School District 57 prepare to tackle a forecasted budget shortfall of $2.3m several positions are being put on the chopping block.

Two of those positions include the facilities department which has been severely cut in recent years dating back to 2010. According to CUPE Local 4991, the cuts to two more positions add to 10 positions already lost since 2010.

“Luckily, we’re actually not going to be laying anybody off,” said CUPE 4991 President Brian Larsen who cited his retirement, and elimination of a vacant position that took care of the cuts this time. “But still, when you’re a small local of 49 members and you lose two positions, it hurts. Years ago when I started back in 1990, we were focused on preventive work, and now it’s more reactionary.”

Larsen said the understaffing and cuts to facilities are already showing on many of SD57’s buildings and will only continue to get worse.

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Other proposed reductions will see cuts to a fine arts position at the district level, the loss of one full-time vice principal position, among other items the use of nearly $500k in surplus funding.

As announced on Tuesday evening, trustees and staff will have to find $300k more in savings after not receiving as much grant money from the Ministry of Education and Childcare as initially thought.

A final decision on how to balance the budget will be made in June at the next regular board meeting.

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Twitter: @CadenFanshaw

Email: Caden.Fanshaw@pattisonmedia.com