Christy Clark and her government are nothing more than bullies.
First-term Delta school trustee Bruce Reid had that to say about last week's provincial budget, which contained a clause requiring school districts to start cutting administration budgets.
Although the province is boosting education spending by about $110 million, a ministry order for the province's 60 school districts has them finding $29 million in "administrative efficiencies" this year and an additional $25 million next year.
"We're targeting more money for student instruction because we know parents want more teachers and classroom supports, not more administration. They want more of their tax dollars to deepen student learning, not duplicate payroll functions," stated Education Minister Peter Fassbender.
The government is looking for school districts to save 0.5 per cent of total spending this coming year, rising to one per cent the year after, said the minister, adding it's "reasonable, it's achievable and, to keep education funding sustainable and targeted to classrooms, it's the right thing to do."
Reid wasn't impressed, telling the Optimist cash-strapped districts that are still woefully underfunded are now forced to make further cuts, which will likely be the case in Delta, a district that has worked hard to be efficient and achieve one of the lowest administration costs in the province. "I've almost become cynical of Pink Shirt Day when I see Christy
Clark wearing a pink shirt. In my mind, she's the epitome of bullying and her government, the way it treats teachers and the education system," Reid said.
Noting the province is playing fast and loose with funding announcements because they're not really keeping up with costs, Reid said B.C. districts as a whole are already running tight ships when it comes to administration.
"The whole way the government is treating districts and teachers and unions is by saying, 'We've got the power, we're going to treat you badly and you can't do anything about it.'
"Looking for efficiencies is fine, but after the way we've been cut for the last 12 years, you can only cut so much," he added.
Delta board chair Laura Dixon said it's not clear just how the cuts are to be implemented and whether a district like Delta, which has the second lowest in terms of administration costs, would be subject to a provincial across-the-board cutback. She said Delta has to prepare for a number of scenarios.
Noting the board has to be as "trim as possible" and the cuts to Delta's transportation budget are just one example, Dixon said cuts to districts that don't have much of a margin could impact supports for schools to carry out the District Vision, which means impacts to classroom.
"We have to provide those district supports and that's where those kind of things can be very impactful, because our ability to provide those supports to the classroom teachers around those key pieces in our vision - our vision is very aligned with the ministry BC Ed Plan - it slows us down in that kind of work," Dixon said.
Last Wednesday, the premier created a further stir by referring to the administrative cuts as "lowhanging fruit." Speaking to reporters, the premier said taxpayers want to see greater efficiency from school boards, adding people have asked her why the province doesn't simply amalgamate boards of education across the province.
The Delta school board last spring made a number of cuts as a result of a $3.2 million budget shortfall, including reducing school board administration "nonsalary" costs by just over $84,000.
