Some potentially difficult budget realities are beginning to descend on Central Okanagan Public Schools.
The Central Okanagan Board of Education has signed off on the final 2024-25 budget that required absorbing a $4.4 million funding shortfall, with the public consultation process already underway for what may be another fiscally challenged budget planning process for the 2025-26 budget, which must be submitted to the Ministry of Education and Childcare by the end of June.
The $4.4 million shortfall for the 2024-25 budget was equally split around two factors - operating costs exceeding budget projections due to various factors such as inflation, and an unexpected drop in projected student enrolment.
鈥淭he 2024/25 annual budget was originally built on a projected student enrolment of 400 FTE (full-time equivalents) which was aligned with prior trends,鈥� said a staff report compiled by Delta Carmichael, secretary-treasurer/CFO.
The three-year average of student enrolment growth is 520 FTE (2.2 per cent) and the six-year average of student enrolment growth is 434 FTE (1.9).
鈥淚n September 2024, the overall funded student enrolment, excluding adult, alternate and online enrolment, was lower than anticipated, with a 153 student FET increase versus the 400 FTE increase originally projected," stated a report.
That decrease in enrolment resulted alone in a $2.2 million projected funding decrease based on the ministry鈥檚 per student funding formula for school districts, which provides up to 80 per cent of the school district鈥檚 operational funding for classroom resources.
That funding is also critical to Central Okanagan Public Schools because it covers the cost of school bus transportation and the movement and acquisition of portables, both costs which the province has downloaded on school districts for many years.
Carmichael noted that up to four portables will be moved to Rutland Secondary School this fall to address enrolment challenges.
To purchase a portable is about a $400,000 cost, and to transfer a portable from one school site to another is about $170,000. The school district currently has 127 portables in use.
Carmichael told the finance committee at its Feb. 12 meeting that the student funding numbers for the 2025-26 school year will be passed on to school districts during spring break in March.
It was also noted at the Feb. 9 board of education meeting by trustee Wayne Broughton, that final fiscal adjustments to the 2024-25 school year budget showed a projected surplus of $1,237,322 being reduced to $668,128.
Carmichael acknowledged that the reduction will be another pressure point when developing the budget for the 2025-26 school year in absorbing costs not accounted for in ministry or other secondary source funding.
She said potential budget fiscal challenges will depend on meeting enrolment projections anticipated for next September and increases to the current ratio of $8,915 per FTE student.
Carmichael noted that reductions in administration discretionary allocations, leaving unfilled administration positions vacant and other one-time funding supports enabled the school district to meet the $4.4 million shortfall, but further challenges will require the board of education to look elsewhere for other options to reduce expenditures.
At the same finance committee meeting, a lengthy discussion was initiated by trustee Chantelle Desrosiers about how to reduce school bus transportation services, suggesting the school district work more cooperatively with 琉璃神社 Regional Transit to eliminate bus route service duplication, an indication of the fiscal realities that trustees might face.
Susan Bauhart, president of the Central Okanagan Teachers Association, also raised a concern she hears more often than any other from her teacher membership, a lack of resources to deal with diversified student needs in the classroom.
Bauhart said it is critical the school district address the CEA (Certified Education Assistant) shortfall to better support students and teachers.
鈥淚 cannot overstate that concern鈥 hear about this issue from teachers constantly. The complexities faced by teachers in our classrooms today are horrendous,鈥� Bauhart said.
The CEA shortage concerns were echoed by Nicola Baker, president of the Central Okanagan Advisory Parent Council, noting the impact is felt most in the elementary school grades.
鈥淲e need those supports more now than ever before鈥� to ensure students don鈥檛 get left behind, Baker said.
Carmichael noted providing classroom resources is something administrative staff discuss almost on a daily basis.
鈥淲e talk about that all the time. And, it remains an issue for school districts everywhere across the province. It is not just an issue here in the Central Okanagan. So we all share in that concern,鈥� Carmichael said.
With the budget consultation process with the public still underway, the next significant step in the 2025-26 budget planning process will be the annual preliminary budget proposal slated to be delivered by superintendent/CEO Kevin Kaardal at the April 2 finance and planning committee meeting.
