Teacher Negotiations Will Affect New Budget

The preliminary budget for the Vernon School District for 2017/18 has been outlined to the Board.

It calls for an expenditure of $93 million dollars this year, but it really is far from finished.

Board Chair Kelly Smith says all boards are awaiting a final outcome from negotiations between the Province and teachers union on the Supreme Court ruling surrounding class size and composition.

“It’s very hard to plan a budget when you’re not sure what class size and composition is supposed to look like. It is going to be based on the 2002 contract language.”

The new budget is predicting an increase of about 100 students next year.

Smith says the Province has already made provisions to cover added students, but everything is somewhat in a holding pattern pending the final negotiated settlement.

“It will totally rely on how the negotiations go about the Supreme Court case. Class size and composition could be very costly items.”

The draft budget will be presented to the Board on March 15th.