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Delta School District considers tapping surplus to cover next year's budget shortfall

Continued drop in enrolment and reduced funding for bussing adds up to $2 million gap
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In an effort to help cover a budget shortfall of just over $2 million, the Delta School District is conetmplating dipping into an anticipated, year-end surplus.

The district announced Thursday (April 12) that due to continued declining enrolment and a cut in its transportation budget by the government, Delta comes up $2.02 million short for 2012-2013.

Projected numbers call for 150 fewer students in Delta classrooms for the start of the next school year, and a drop of $124,000 in funding for bussing.

The province provides school districts with funding of just under $8,500 per student.

Thanks to a one-time allocation of funding from the Ministry of Education in December 2011, Delta expects to end this school year with a surplus of $1.9 million. That's where the majority of the budget shortfall is hoped to be made up.

While that type of unanticipated funding is usually reserved for one-time costs—such as the  Laptops for Learning project—it has not been traditionally put towards ongoing cost items such as staffing.

The remaining balance of the budget shortfall is expected to be covered by other revenue sources and by not filling a temporary vacancy.

"Given the challenging year the education community has faced, the District does not wish to add further strain with reductions," stated a district press release.

The community will get an opportunity to have its say on the budget recommendations at a public meeting April 17 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the School Board Office (4585 Harvest Drive, Ladner).

To get your name on the speaker's list, contact Tracey Nelson at tnelson@deltasd.bc.ca, or call 604-952-5340.