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It’s time for administration spending cuts

Questioning SD51 priorities: The money would be better spent on reopening our GFSS cafeteria .. than the black hole.
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Re: School board facing money crunch

“What is happening is that government is requesting boards to cut administration spending.”

It is about time for these administration spending cuts because over the years they have grown in size in all districts. The money belongs in our classrooms. I have watched this board administration costs from 12 years ago climb from over $300,000 when enrollment was high and we went to a four-day week to now over $800,000 with student enrollment at 1,285.

In our school district financial statements for 2013-14 personnel expenses above employee wages including trustees and administrators was $217,008.84. The mileage rate is 54¢ a kilometre, maybe more under the new contract which also ties into trustees raises as well.

Now if you have an ICBC claim and sustained injuries that require you to travel to different medical appointments you get 25¢ a kilometre, which has been the going rate over last 15 years. And ICBC is the most lucrative insurance company in North America.

Do we need to belong to British Columbia Trustees’ Association that has morphed into a politically motivated organization? How does the BCSTA enhance learning outcomes?

It is not a compulsory membership and a few districts such as Kootenay 8 have withdrawn from BCSTA. Its funding comes from student enrollment in each school district, fees calculated on $8,000 per student funding. Can we afford it—plus is there any payback?

I believe the money would be better spent on reopening our GFSS cafeteria for our kids than put it into some political black hole.

Val Rich,

Grand Forks