North Okanagan-Shuswap School District facing deficit of more than $2 million

Photo: SD83

The North Okanagan-Shuswap School District is facing a funding shortfall of more than $2 million.

In a newsletter to parents, Supt. Peter Jory outlined financial challenges facing the district.

While Jory says the start of the school year has been "overwhelmingly successful," he  goes on to add a "significant financial issue" has come to light in recent weeks.

"The first part is the initial reduction of student-based funding caused by the loss of 98 students, along with the lower level of funding generated by students in an online program. The second part is the realization that a disproportionate number of students who did not return were students with funded Individualized Education Plans, so our Inclusive Education Department is facing a significant funding reduction. The third part is a bit more complicated, and that is the impact of the Classroom Enhancement Fund," Jory writes in the newsletter.

Since a Supreme Court ruling in 2017 on class sizes, the district has been receiving about $6 million a year in additional funding.

"We are expected to staff in accordance with that contract language, then we receive grant money to pay for the difference in the number of teachers required. We staffed in accordance with the old language, but reduction in students has meant that we no longer qualify for the CEF grant in several of our schools."

Jory says the combination of factors has resulted in a deficit of more than $2 million, "which may end up being significantly more before we complete our CEF application process."

District staff have begun working on a plan to decrease teacher numbers in schools where there are enough empty seats to do so and still meet the restored contract language.

"More reductions will certainly follow across a number of staffing categories, and some programs approved at the board table will need to come back for reconsideration," says Jory.

"Some have wondered about our using the Federal Grant monies to offset staffing reductions. This will remain a consideration, but it should be noted that the majority of it will be easily spent covering the increased costs it was intended to support."

Meanwhile, the district reports the majority of students have returned to in-class learning. About 300 have chosen to do so through a graduated return, or are learning online, either temporarily or for the balance of the school year.

The overall funded enrolment stands at 6,429 students, or 98.6% of the district's projections.