(file photo/Vernon Matters Staff)

By Liam Verster

Expenditure Updates

Vernon School District on track with budget

Jan 24, 2023 | 12:42 PM

School District 22 (Vernon) is hitting its budget benchmarks for the 2022-23 year.

A year-to-date financial performance report to the SD22 Board of Education showed that, as of December 31, 2022, a total of $43,958,604 was spent in the first six months of the financial year.

That equates to 42.2 per cent of the 2023 draft amended budget of $104,201,005, which is the exact benchmark target the Vernon School District had set for this point of time.

The highest expenditure in the budget was $32,551,012 for instructor salaries and benefits. That figure is 40 per cent of the annual salary and benefit budget, and is below the benchmark of 41 per cent previously set for this section.

The services and supplies expenditures of the instruction, district administration, operation and maintenance and transportation sections all exceeded their respective benchmarks.

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The report stated these unusual high expenditures can be attributed to the economic environment and the pressure on acquiring supplies and delivering services. It is now expected that the entire year’s supply and services budget be exceeded by about 2.3 per cent, or $144,207.

The report also stated teacher sick leave continues to create significant concerns for the school district.

As of December 31, 2022, a total of 2,746 sick days had been granted and 1,556 long-term sick days were recorded through the district.

Compared to the same six-month period, the school district saw four consecutive years of increases to both sick and long-term sick leave.

The 2022-23 sick day figure was nearly double the pre-pandemic figures of 1,613 in 2019, while the long-term sick days was nearly triple the 2019 figures of 573.

However, it was noted support staff sick leave absenteeism is on the decline and has fallen below the 2021 figures.

The report added most special purpose funds have been spent in line with the budget, with the exception of the Student and Family Affordability Fund, of which just $150,000 of the $725,000 budget had been spent. The report encourages school principals use this fund for appropriate matters.