The provincial government announced in its Budget 2015/2016 last month, saying that all school boards across BC would be required to find $54 million in administrative savings over the next two years.
Kamloops area School District Superintendent Karl deBruijn confirmed that the district has been asked to cut approximately $800,000 from their budget next year in order to meet this request.
School Trustee Greg Watson has said in recent interviews that the district has worked extremely hard in recent years to best manage the resources the district has been given.
This process of finding even more savings would be very difficult for the district to do, says deBrujin.
"You are balancing the budget on the backs of the weakest" - #sd46 trustees to Finance Minister in letter: https://t.co/5qRqELgFyM #bcpoli
— BCTF (@bctf) March 24, 2015
B.C. School Trustees’ Association president Teresa Rezansoff suggested the request by the Premier ignores the fact that school districts have been making cuts for years.
Rezansoff said districts already work closely together to absorb rising Medical Services Plan premiums, higher electricity rates, and salary increases that the provincial government refuses to cover.
She said some districts share secretary-treasurers, while others join forces to purchase goods and services.
While the struggle continues in districts throughout the province to find these cost savings, it remains to be seen what cuts the Kamloops Thompson School District will make.
Photo Credit: KamloopsBCNow
