Balanced budgets not sustainable without more funding, say school board trustees

Things are looking good for a balanced budget in School District 57 this year. The school board conducted its second reading of the proposed budget last night and it received unanimous support from trustees.

But unless something changes, things may not go so well in future years. Although the new budget puts the district in the black, Trustee Sharel Warrington says they’re having to appropriate money from future budgets to do so.

“We are also using $2.6 million out of our school surpluses to fund expenses for next year as well and that is just rolling surpluses from schools back into the budget to fund their expenses.”

Anyone who has ever tried to balance a chequebook knows that budgeting can be tricky. And if your expenses keep growing while your revenue shrinks, it gets even harder.

That’s the situation School District 57 finds itself in says Warrington – every year, the government chips away at funding.

“Each unfunded challenge that the Ministry presents to us, that we have to find within our existing budget threatens, our ability to balance our budget every year. We have $2.5 million in unfunded expenses that we’ve had to incorporate in our annual budget.”

This year the district will need to cover off a 4.18 million dollar shortfall in revenue.

While confident that the district will once again pass a balanced budget this year, Warrington says using surpluses to balance the books is not sustainable.

“We’re going to attempt to meet with the Premier to discuss how we are working so hard to meet our budget obligations and emphasize to her that we cannot continue to maintain our programs and services and provide for our students.”

The District must make $1.35 million dollars in administrative savings cuts this year, as dictated by the province.

Last night, at its second reading, the proposed budget was unanimously supported by trustees and Warrington says she does not foresee any significant changes taking place before the budget is finalized and approved by the district.

The district has until June 30 to pass a balanced budget for 2016/17.