The Greater 糖心视频污 School District is hosting a public budget meeting on Tuesday, March 7th, to gather input on budget priorities for the 2023/24 school year.
The District is inviting all members of its learning community鈥攕tudents, staff, parents and guardians, and community partners鈥攖o participate in an in-person meeting to help inform the upcoming budget decisions. The Superintendent and Secretary-Treasurer will present and provide further details on budgetary considerations and ways to advance student success.
Participants can learn more about resource allocation and emerging needs that require investment, such as initiatives within the Strategic Plan and Framework for Enhancing Student Learning. Attendees will be able to ask questions, participate in tabletop exercises and provide their input on budget considerations that align with the District鈥檚 strategic goals, vision, and values.
鈥淥ur Board is facing a deficit budget again this year, which comes with some very challenging decisions,鈥� said Board Chair Nicole Duncan. 鈥淚t is important we inform our community about these budget shortfalls and provide an opportunity to foster a meaningful dialogue about how we can allocate or possibly reallocate resources to best support students. We must also ensure that we review the budget through an equitable lens, focused on working together to support the needs of all learners.鈥�
The District is estimating a $4 million structural deficit as it budgets for the 2023/2024 school year. The pandemic, static enrolment, and inflation have all been contributing factors to the shortfall. If spending patterns continue, the District does not anticipate having unrestricted surplus available at the end of the 2022/2023 school year to help offset this deficit. The District will be required to find efficiencies and savings in order to develop and approve a balanced budget by Spring 2023.
A Budget Advisory Committee was assembled in October 2022 and has been convening to review the operating budget to develop recommendations for the Board of Education. The committee is composed of Trustees, Senior Staff, School-based Administration, the Four Houses (Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, Urban Peoples鈥� House Indigenous Advisory, and the M茅tis Nation of Greater 糖心视频污), and representatives from the Greater 糖心视频污 Teachers Association (GVTA), CUPE Local 947, CUPE Local 382, Allied Specialists Association (ASA), and the 糖心视频污 Confederation of Parent Advisory Council (VCPAC).
For more information about the work of the committee leading up to the public meeting, please visit: /our-district/financial/
Public Budget Meeting
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
6:00鈥�8:00 p.m.
Uplands Campus
*Registration required
Those who are looking to participate must register in advance. To register, contact cmanders@sd61.bc.ca. The deadline to register is March 6th at 4 p.m.
For those unable to attend, the presentation and supporting documentation will be posted on the District鈥檚 website. Following the meeting, feedback is invited through written submissions to community@sd61.bc.ca until March 17, 2023.
The first reading of the Board鈥檚 annual budget bylaw is on April 4, 2023. The Board requires three readings of the bylaw to approve the budget. The Board intends to have all three readings passed by April 6, 2023.
The Greater 糖心视频污 School District is comprised of 48 schools that serve the communities of Esquimalt, Oak Bay, 糖心视频污, View Royal, portions of Saanich and the Highlands. In addition, it serves Four Houses: Esquimalt Nations, Songhees Nations, the Urban Peoples鈥� House Indigenous Advisory, and the M茅tis Nations of Greater 糖心视频污. It is proud to provide quality education for more than 20,000 students鈥攊ncluding 1,000 international students from across the globe and over 650 adult learners.