Frontline workers still don’t have assures about their jobs in the Delta school district.
That’s what CUPE Local 1091 president Patti Price told the board of education Tuesday during a public input meeting for the school district’s proposed operating budget.
Containing a slight surplus of just under $57,000, the draft budget will not see any staffing cuts. What’s more, unlike previous years, the district will be adding some staff, including eight full-time equivalent teaching positions as well as more educational supports.
However, Price said every area of service has taken hits over the last few years and staffing numbers are stretched.
“The stress that these reductions have caused are evident in the number of employees who are away on medical or WorkSafe leave and from the number of employees who are choosing to retire earlier than expected because of job insecurity and dissatisfaction. Custodial and education assistant areas remain a great concern to many. Staff in both these areas are stretched to max capacity and we can see how lack of staffing and replacements has continued to take its toll on these workers. We aware that students learn best in an environment that is stable with consistent staffing and support staff are an important part of that stability,” she said.
Price noted she hopes managers will make sure full-time and consistent staff are available where they are needed most.
Parent Samanta Palomino was the only other person to speak on the budget, saying the district needs to ensure it spends its funding fairly among all the student groups, including those with special needs or requiring supports.
Palomino noted understaffing when it comes to educational assistants has been a problem for students and their parents.
Factors that contributed to this year’s better budget include an increase in per pupil funding and enrollment funding, while the district is projecting an enrollment increase of around 50 students.
School board chair Laura Dixon and superintendent Doug Sheppard at Tuesday’s budget input meeting
Meanwhile, revenue from the International Student Program is projected to increase, while the district is also dipping into its reserves once again.
The small budget surplus is a sharp contrast to budgets the Delta school district usually has had to deal with for a number of years, resulting in cuts including educational assistants and custodial staff. Last year, the district had a shortfall of just over $2 million, while the previous year it faced a $3.38 million deficit.
The B.C. School Trustees Association said that there has been little opportunity for school boards to direct budget improvements to meet the needs of students. A variety of provincial policies, collective agreements, and directives have tied the hands of trustees, the association warned.
The school board will discuss the operating budget on April 24.
