Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows have seen increasing enrolment across the school district, bringing more government funding rather than cost-cutting.
The preliminary district budget was approved last week, and is scheduled to be back on the school board agenda on May 16 for adoption.
The enrolment forecast stood out, because after trending downward for years – reaching a low of 13,825 students in the 2014-2015 school year – it is up to 14,740 in 2017-2018, and over the next three years is slated to rise by more than 1,000 students.
The projected enrolment will be 15,783 students in 2020-2021.
“We are looking at fairly significant growth,” said board chair Mike Murray, adding the increased per pupil funding has put an end to the days when the board wrestled with cutting vice-principal positions, librarians and even student busing.
“It was not fun, and it was not healthy,” he said of those budget decisions.
Rather than trending down, operating expenses are $142 million for 2017-2018, and will be up to $145 million in 2018-2019. The budget has a surplus of $1.5 million next year.
About 90 per cent of the budget expenditures are on salaries for almost 1,700 positions.
This year, the board approved additional spending after hearing public feedback on the budget.
“We were quite happy with it – we were able to approve some small changes that were important changes,” said Murray, who admitted the changes were small, but a move in the right direction.
“The trustees are rightly pleased at being able to be responsive to those appeals,” said Murray.
Kim Dumore, president of the District Parent Advisory Council, had asked for a drug and alcohol counsellor in every high school, but was appreciative when the board added $170,000 for staffing of two additional blocks of counselling at each secondary school.
“The board does a great job of listening to partner groups,” said Dumore, who plans to run for a trustee position in the fall election. “All in all, it’s a positive budget.”
“Not having enough counselling is a big picture item – boots on the ground, so students can access services when they need it,” she said. “We have increased enrolment, and we have a chance to keep programs going, and expand on programs.”
Speech and language pathology staff and occupational therapy staff offer both professional consultation and direct service in support of student learning and exceptional needs.
At the request of the Maple Ridge Teachers’ Association, the board added $110,000 for staffing in the Learning Services Department to fund one position for these professionals.
And trustees added $54,000 for an additional Aboriginal Support Worker, noting it may add more if the actual entrolment of students receiving aboriginal education services differs from the projected entrolment of 1,243 students.
The preliminary budget bylaw is scheduled for adoption on May 16.