School District 57 had a surplus of $48,513,929 for 2018.
While at first glance it may seem like a lot for the district, Chair of Management and Finance, Trustee Sharel Warrington, argues it is not. Over $31 million ($31,453,853) of that surplus is tied into Capital Reserve Dollars, meaning the Board of Trustees cannot touch it.
Other limitations on the remaining $17 million leave about eight million dollars between schools in the district. Warrington says even this number can be misleading.
“Each school has a different amount and some can be very small. $35,000 would be a very small amount of money to have as a surplus, it might buy some very small resources for maths and things like that. Other schools might have a larger surplus, maybe $100,000 or $200,000, but they are saving that for technology that will help our students.”
The district has set a practice to determine what each school will do with the money and parents do not have to be left in the dark.
“Our schools will report to the Board as to how they intend to use those additional dollars every year. Parents can ask their principals about the surpluses that are in their schools and how they intend to use them.”
The surplus is accumulated year after year. For 2018, nearly two million dollars ($1,935,678) was added to the just over $46 million surplus last year.
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
