Liam Lahey

Contributing Writer
NORTH Vancouver
School District 44 is
calling for a significant
cash injection from the
Ministry of Education.
After submitting recom-
mendations to the ministry’s
finance. and: facilities advisory
committee on June 2, the
_School’ board’s finance and
_facilitics standing committee
(FFSC) felr their suggestions
had fallen on deaf ears.
“The sad part of the agen-
da this’ committee worked
very hard. at was coming up

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“1695 Marine Dr.

983-2088

eeks more money from

with suggestions. The min-
istry’s finance and facilities
advisory committee said they
have no mandate (for our sug-
gestions),” said Len Berg, the
secretary-treasurer for the
FFSC.

“Clearly they did have a
mandate; they just chose not
to accept our recommenda-
tions ... our recommendations
are as good today as they were
then.”

In a June 4 letter to Shell
Harvey, assistant deputy min-
ister of education, FFSC
chairman Barb. MacLellan
asked the government’s advi-

“sory committee to consider: __
@ an improvement in the size

NORTH VANCOUVER SUZUKI

RTS

of the provincial funding
block to more truly reflect the
real costs of offering extant
programs and services to stu-
dents;

@ an improvement in the
funding allocation formula for
students with special needs;

@ the use of current data for
the educator salary adjust-
ment formula;

‘@ the climination of the

notion of targeted funds;

@ a recognition in the formu-
Ja of the entire cost of extant
and future collective agree-
ments with teachers and sup-
port staff, including the full
funding of the current provin-

“Affiliated building/busines

cial accord with teachers.

“If the (Ministry of
Education’s) advisory com-
mittee chooses not io deal
with most of our recommen-
dations, they (the recommen-
dations) should go directly to
the minister,” Berg suggested
to the FESC board members.

MacLellan acknowledged
the provincial governnient’s
latest efforts in upgrading the
school district’s facilities, but
agreed their recommenda-
tions should be considered by
the minister of education.

“This is not to say what
they (the Ministry of
Education) have done is inad-

Sunday, September 27, 1998 — North Shore News — 18

equate,” MacLellan said. “But
we need to keep trying, Pm
inclined to think they'll put
more money in (if they see the
Tecommendations).” ;

The FFSC will direct the
school board to forward a
revised version of the original
letter to both the ministry’s
advisory committee and the
Minister of Education.

Berg was also pieased to
announce to around of
applause from school board
members that the school dis-
trict has a $1.1 million surplus

following its financial state-~
ment for the year ending June |

30, 1998.

North ‘Vane

s address:

‘Affiliated building/business phone #:

> City of North Vanéouv
: 985-7761

Te rs a7

> 141 West 14th Street,

rere

aT Tame

North Vancouver BG V7M 1H9
Fax: 985-9417 Web site: a

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at

The surplus, the. distri
second in two ‘years, will ‘be
held as a “reserve” for possi-*”
ble expenditures that arise
during the school year. _ ;

“There is always .some-*'
thing that will arise during the
course of the school year that" -
needs to_be paid for,” Berg - .
said. “This: reserve will .help’
ensure in an emergency situa-
tion that we can act if we need
to...’ we. will.-provide . th
board with a full presentation
mext week.” ge

The North ~: Vancouve:

+ School Board- ‘meets’ next

Tuesday “anid : will hear all

" the FFSC’s recommendations

www.cnv.org .