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Vol. 120, Issue 54
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Page 9
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
School district faces more belt tightening Shortfall now stands at $800,000 BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
Cuts to public education keep coming - this year to the tune of almost $800,000 in School District 20 (SD20). Early SD20 budget talks indicated a $590,000 shortfall, which already meant potential chops to teacher and counsellor positions, clerical jobs, the meals program, technology, transportation and custodial staffing and supplies. Facing a $200,000 directive from the province to clean up “administrative efficiencies” as part of a $29 million order to 60 districts, a local union president says it's time to stand up and make some noise. Roger Smith, from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1285, is one of LIZ BEVAN PHOTO the region's stakeholders presenting to SD20 Grad 2015 council co-presidents Vivian Huang (left) and Jennifer Chung get a head start on this weekend's bottle drive to trustees this afternoon prior to the public conraise money for graduation events. Students and parents are under some extra pressure this year with numerous fundraising sultation slated for April 15 in the Kootenay setbacks including the cancellation of the cruise lottery, the teacher's strike and less revenue from the Valentine's Day Dance. Columbia Learning Centre gym Others addressing the board include representatives from the Kootenay-Columbia teachers' union and the district's parents advisory council (DPAC). Smith has been closely involved with budget Several factors have limited are still short, but we want to make sure spending money. talks for five years. “We are moving along with the fesHe recalls being advised three years ago that the Class of 2015’s ability to that we give the grads the best possible celebration that we can.” tivities and everything will still be hap- by 2015/16, “things would turn around,” with generate more funds for Starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, stu- pening, it is just that the money is a bit the possibility of a slight surplus in SD20 funddents and parents will be driving from tighter,” she said. ing. graduation weekend Annable to Montrose collecting as many “There have been changes made “That of course hasn't materialized,” said BY LIZ BEVAN bottles as they can to help fund the Dry already. We haven’t hired the same Smith, the union leader for school bus drivers, Times Staff Grad, Memory Walk and prom for all hypnotist we usually have and we custodians, clericals, maintenance, tech and Every penny counts for this year’s 189 graduating students. haven’t hired the same DJ. We have trades, education assistants, childcare and youth J.L. Crowe graduating class, even an With the bottle drive and other small- made some cuts that way.” workers, and aboriginal education employees. extra nickel or two for that empty soda er fundraisers, the council plans to Making the situation even more dif“I want an update of what they are looking at bottle. make this year’s celebrations the best ficult for grads, the annual Valentine’s to cut from administrative costs,” he said. “But Fundraising issues have hit the 2015 possible with limited resources, making Day Dance didn’t meet fundraising ultimately, I think it will come down to cutting grad students and parents hard with the up for the missing dollars. expectations, which Seifrit attributes to CUPE jobs.” loss of a key money-making event and a “We want to have this year be as a much more expensive liquor license Smith maintains that if school districts conlate start to planning due to last year’s good, if not better, than previous years and limited raffle options. The dance has tinue to play the cards dealt by the ministry and labour dispute. because we only get to do this once,” also customarily been the event where achieving balanced budgets, then deeper cuts “(The bottle drive) carries a lot more said Meyer, adding that students didn’t cruise lottery winners are picked. will continue to roll out year after year. weight this year because we were unable want the loss of the cruise lottery to Seifrit says there were a number of “What I'm saying to the trustees, is that you to do the cruise lottery fundraiser,” slow them down. factors that led to the cancellation of were voted by your constituents to advocate and explained Ella Meyer, co-secretary of the The annual cruise lottery usual- the cruise lottery this year, including a fight for the best possible public education,” student grad council. ly raises around $5,000 for the high late start to the school year and issues said Smith. “We are doing the drive, we are going school’s grad class, and Angie Seifrit, between Cruise Lottery, the company “How can that happen when you are acceptto do more bake sales at school, and the chairperson of the grad parent council, that facilitates the fundraiser, and B.C. ing this bullying from the provincial governparents are putting on a barbecue and says the group has already been frugal Gaming. ment. That is what this is.” car wash at Home Hardware for us. We in their planning in anticipation of less See LABOUR, Page 3 See BOARD, Page 3
Crowe grads scrambling to raise funds
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