Funding provides some increases, but decreases as well
Jun 16, 2009 - 01:41 PM
By Crystal Crimi
DURHAM -- In nine years as a public school board trustee, Marilyn Crawford has never voted against a balanced budget -- this year she made an exception.
The Durham District School Board approved its $623-million operating budget June 15, but without the support of Ajax Trustee Crawford, Ajax Trustee Lisa Hill and Oshawa Trustee Michael Barrett.
"I just simply cannot support a budget that doesn't support our students in their learning," Trustee Crawford said.
When she looks at the pictures of students hung up around the board room and reviews the board's strategic plan, Durham Directives, she can't throw her support to the budget, even though it's balanced, she said.
Textbooks and computers are among items hit in this year's budget. Money for those areas was reduced because of $900,000 less provided in provincial grants directed toward textbooks and learning materials. The same amount was taken out for classroom computers.
Special education also took a hit, with cost increases outgrowing revenue enhancements, according to previous staff budget reports. The budget includes cutting 39 level two education assistants and replacing them with lower-aid level one education assistants.
At the elementary level, 40 teachers also received lay-off notices because of declining enrolment.
"I have difficulty with a budget that takes away numeracy and literacy coaches," Trustee Barrett said, adding, but it can find money to satisfy "other parts of our process."
At work, he would be hung out to dry if he supported a budget that didn't support the company's strategic plan, Trustee Barrett said, adding his comments have nothing to do with the efforts of board staff who put together the budget under financial challenges.
But not all trustees felt the same, landing a five-to-three approval for the budget passing. Whitby Trustee John Dolstra was absent and Oshawa Trustee Kathleen Hopper declared a conflict of interest, as she has throughout this year's budget process.
"I have an obligation to support the budget as presented," Uxbridge Trustee Joe Allin said.
The confusion for him surrounds the board's ability to have flexibility with its funds, Trustee Allin said. During the next budget process, he would like the ability to better study how grants are packaged, he added.
A $2.4-million temporary transfer of working funds helped balance the operating budget.
The budget includes salary increases allowed for through the Ministry of Education salary framework, more elementary prep time, a provision for more teachers to reduce class sizes for grades 4-8 to an average of 24.9 students per teacher, more secondary teachers to support additional programming, more custodians, and more funds for increased utility costs.
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