The Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows School District is projecting an operating budget funding shortfall for the next four years.
According to the preliminary budget that was presented at the most recent school board meeting on Wednesday, April 17, the operating budget will have an estimated shortfall of $3.51 million in 2025/26, $1.48 million in 2026/27, and $1.64 million in 2027/28.
For the present year 2024/25, SD42 estimates an operating funding shortfall $2.05 million, that the district said will need to be addressed. It will be offset by a one-time budget surplus of $980,000, “that can be utilized to fund one-time initiatives in 2024/25,” read the budget overview.
“The total ongoing base budget changes for 2024/25 are estimated at $2.05 million, which constitutes a structural deficit, also referred to as a funding shortfall,” explained school board Chair Elaine Yamamoto.
Increases to expenses like those of salaries, benefits, services, supplies, and utilities, exceed increases to revenue, which, explained Yamamoto, is primarily made up of grant funding from the Ministry of Education and Child Care. Yamamoto noted that though the 2024/25 operating budget is balanced through the one-time use of a prior year’s surplus, it is not sustainable.
“The funding shortfall needs to be addressed through continued advocacy for the ministry to sufficiently fund the inflationary cost pressures that school districts are facing. If the ministry does not increase funding, the funding shortfall will need to be addressed through a reduction in ongoing expenses,” she said.
The reports states the operating fund is used to support instructional programs, school and district administration, facilities and IT operations, maintenance, and transportation.
For the 2024/25 school year, the district is projecting it will receive $195 million or 91.84 per cent of the budgeted operating revenue, from the province and other grants, $11 million or 5.39 per cent from tuition, $2 million or 1.07 per cent from a surplus from a prior year, and $3.6 million or 1.70 per cent from other sources. Budgeted operating expenses, according to the report, include $195 million or 91.63 per cent for salaries and benefits, $14 million or 6.39 per cent for services and supplies, about $3 million or 1.32 per cent for utilities, and $1.4 million or 0.66 per cent for capital assets purchased and other expenses.
The Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School Board is looking for the public’s feedback on the proposed preliminary budget for the next school year, specifically support for school growth plans; learning services; support for operational plans; student transportation; use of the available operating surplus from this school year; and the Feeding Futures School Food Programs fund.
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An opportunity for public and partner group input to the Budget Committee of the Whole on the Proposed Preliminary Budget will be held at 6 p.m., on Wednesday, April 24, at Thomas Haney Secondary, 23000 116th Ave., room 2032, the Suddaby Room.
Groups or individuals who want to present their views on the proposed budget at this meeting must register and provide any written submissions by email to: budget@sd42.ca, no later than noon on Monday, April 22. All submissions to the board are considered to be public documents. As such, the board, has the right to make any submissions available to the public.
Those who want to share their views are also being invited to participate in an online budget survey, open until noon on Thursday, April 25.
The school board will make their final deliberations and adopt the 2024/25 preliminary budget at the public board meeting on Wednesday, May 1.
More than 16,000 students attend school in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows at 22 elementary schools, six secondary schools, and two alternate schools. There are also a variety of certificate programs available at Ridge Meadows College and Continuing Education.
To complete the survey go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2024-25-budget.