School District 57 Board approves budget

“I think with some of the changes to immigration federally and some of those other pieces, even large school districts like Surrey and Kelowna, they have seen now stable population or decreases. So as a system across the province, we’re all going to have to figure out how to address this,” says Aziz.

The Board also voted in favour of a raise for the Chair, Vice Chair and Trustees, increasing he annual, “wage,’ so to speak, for a trustee from $23,430 to $30,000. A study of the district remuneration found it was lower than most. And Board Chair Craig Brennan says there is a rationale for the raises.

“And really, the goal is to try to attract more people to run, to be a trustee,” says Brennan. It’s a big responsibility. It takes a lot of time. I’m proud of the work this board has done. I believe we’ve done a really good job. We’ve got a great senior team here leading the way.”

There were wage increases factored into the last teachers contract and the Province hasn’t notified any district on where the money for those raises will come from, with another set for later next month. But Superintendent Aziz says he has no doubts.

“Nothing is guaranteed,” says Aziz. “But, I would say that we are confident in our expectation that it will be funded.”

He says, with the balanced and approved budget now heading to Victoria, the district has clear sailing to get on with programming and the like for the next academic and fiscal year.

by Cheryl Jahn

School District 57 Board approves budget

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