PENINSULA
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Paul Easterbrook Investment Advisor RBC Dominion Securities Inc. 2491 Bevan Ave., Unit 1 Sidney, British Columbia V8L 1W2
Wednesday May 2, 2012
Measuring our progress
paul.easterbrook@rbc.com
Our annual Progress edition looks at the health of many of the region’s top industries, inside today’s edition or on some newsstands Wednesday, May 2, 2012
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We asked, you delivered. See the first photos from our homage to Sidney, including this photo taken by David Donaldson. I Love Sidney is on page A10. And keep the photos coming – they could appear in the Peninsula News Review – and on our Facebook page – between now and June 13. David Donaldson photo
Longer spring break for students? Decision on two week spring break in Peninsula schools expected tonight Christine van Reeuwyk News staff
A decision on spring break is expected tonight during a Saanich school district budget meeting.
The board must find more than $2.8 million to make this year’s budget work and extending spring break from one to two weeks is among the considerations. They face a near-$1 million drop in the operating grant, the same in structural deficit and a recommended $1 million into contingency. “We have budget pressures that others don’t because of our declining enrolment,” said chair Wayne Hunter. “The government has said they will fund us at 98.5 per cent of what they
did last year.” That works in Saanich’s favour because the drop in student enrolment is expected near the 250 pupil mark, which would reduce the funding more than 98.5 per cent. With lower enrolment will come fewer teaching positions, about seven is the expectation. However, a two week spring break and increase in international students are among considerations expected to be finalized tonight.
The extra week of shut down would provide $150,000 in savings. “None of our employees would lose their pay because we would add eight extra minutes a day,” Hunter said. “Half the districts in British Columbia seem to be doing this successfully.” Parent Barry Mosher opposes an extra week of spring break for both monetary and educational reasons.
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PLEASE SEE: Education could suffer, page A6
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