Parents plead for maintenance of support for learning disabled “NORTH » VANCOUVER School District 44 (NVSD) : - approved its $91 miliion bud- ‘get for the 1994-95 school “year Tuesday. “Cost pressures” are estimated to be in the area of #2. 3 million. . NORTH VANCOUVER SCHOOL BOARD : By Kevin Gillas “The board was also told that the -currént school year is expected to ‘run-a deficit of approximately $1.5 million. | ‘Board chairman Fatricia Heal, vice-chair Barb McLellan, superin- endent ‘of ‘schools Dr. .Robin - -Brayne and secretary- -treasurer:Len .. Berg ‘will be addressing these issues directly "to Education Minister Art: rovincial: Technical: Distribution Group's (TDG) Teport (suggesting . new: formula for distribution of ducation funding) ‘and’ other fun- ‘The: Educatian Ministry’ s ‘deci- mn hot to’ ay on the report $ find-. riding f ear. lt cost he > West Wancover istricts et less to’ urban: school : istricts with similar enro}ment. . The, TDG; report would. have creased f nding for urban dis-’ The ‘school ‘c ho are“angry,abcut theeboard’s Hmination‘of. funding. for.two: tiapnostic centres serving children with learning ‘disabilities. a he parents pleaded with the board to:save: the: ‘centres,’ sa ying hey are'essential services. 5 The district has a moral obliga- ; rovide. these support. ser- lest Van faces rare “¢ district boardroom a was packed: Tuesday with parents _ * board is.not being consulted by the vices.” one parent said. Many parents said they ‘would be willing to pay to keep the cen tres going, Trustee Guy Heywood said, “removing the budget allocation doesn’t mean we don’t value the program.” ’ Trustees, open to any sugges- tions to help the desperate situation, said it was worth exploring, but fundamentally wrong for parents to have to pay for basic education. Parent Debra Kitson said that by eliminating the. diagnostic centres, . the board's limit on class sizes are. eliminated. Children classified by a special assessment as learning disabled, i special status, must join significant ly smaller classrooms. in total, 42 positions from this school year will be eliminated, | "The budget: ‘B eliminates-12 full-time teaching ‘positions (elementary and sec-" They. will discuss the defi cit, thé ee 3 ‘] eliminates five vice- principal ondary) in the district; 4 positions; . i means two senior administrators who are retiring early will not be replaced; j reduces elerical administration a reduce consultants and assis- tants for special needs students; BB reduces current staffing for the elementary band ‘and Strings pro; “gram; reduces’ staff j in plant, business “and dupiication/printing services; M@ reduces school-based specialist personne! (library, learning assis- tance counselling); and ” leaves no provision for increases in goods, services or labor. . Trustee Roy Dungey said the Education Ministry. Concerned parzats, taxpayers and students “Should lobby the provincial govern- ment;he said... “We? ve. cut through the flesh; we’ te.at the bone,” assistant super-: intendént ChrisKell¥ ‘said. “That?s—_ why! ‘the f pain is so strong.” STIKINE (94/95 RANKING) VANCOUVER 63 VANCOUVER (94/95 RANKING) 71 _ (94/95 RANKING) 75 ONES be 15,650, tah FIORE: "$5, 000 Pyahassiey € oad Friday, Aptil i 29, ‘1994 - ‘ $15,000 1 $0000, teeta letenenlinten - Provincia average $5, 761 per student Fanding per student eminem ates mee eee ‘ Sree ae, "WEST, VANCOUVER School ‘District 45 WVSD) approved Monday a total budget of approximately $33 million for ‘the 1994-95 School year SCHOOL BOARD . By Kevin Gillies » Secretary-treasurer Len Archer told trusiees and the audience that the WVSD received $10 more per stu- - . International Baccalaureate program will have to pay “100% of fees, although no one will de turned away “= because of financial hardship. ; ~ dent for 1994-95 than it did in 1990-91. “That's not indicative of price. increases dealt with by the board” over the four-year time period, he said, A budget shortfall of $1.2 million spreads cuts: = across all areas of the budget. Administration was hit hard due to a mandated cap’ by the’ Education Ministry: “The boa‘d reduced administration expenses such as puiblic relations, legal fees and printing cosis. Staff: -réductions in the district central office — | including half, of an. assistant superintendent position, ‘clerical and payroll staff — are projected to eliminate “$80, 000 in expenses, ‘A previously budgeted $75,000 position —jan “CALL US: 983-2208 _ information architect (to implement technology within the education field f $125,000 budget for technology equipment remains. The teaching load of four vice-principals in "Sentinel and West Vancouver secondary schools will be increased to move them out of the administrator classification. : Teachers will lose 12 existing full- time positions. Class sizes will increase. Two teacher assistant positions will be eliminated * and department coordinators wili not be appointed in the three secondary schools. Students currently: paying 50% of. fees for the- There will be no reduction in professional develop- ment for. teachers or other Professionals working in the district... The. board will be reducing operations and miuinte- nance personnel, changing its custodian substitute call- out policy and will reduce contracts, supplies and utili- ties budgets for a further $205,500 in savings, . The trustees expressed anger over the provincial “government's funding level for the district. Trustee Ken Haycock said education taxes keep going up and education’funding keeps going down, 1994/95 os Projected enreliment: . NEWS grephie 3 Jemes Lewis “ Veter ew as more classroom $. PUBLIC: FUNDING goes further in - private schools than it does in public . ‘ schools because the’ private school - system. doesn’t have the huge bureaucracy that the public school . system has, according to Federation | - of Independent Schools Association , executive director Fred Hersst. In funding all 75 B.C. school dis- tricts, the Education Ministry paid an average of $5,761 per. student i in the 1994.95 school year.. ; Independent schools, although partially funded by the provincial government, charge students tuition fees. Hersst said fees can range from $80 to $700 per nionth for'a 10- month school year depending on provincial or other outside funding, * Catholic. schools. are fundeu by the church and the provines.~ - St. Anthony’s School in West . Vancouver | is'a Group | independent ’ school, which means that 50% of a Single ‘student's costs ($2,639) at the school are funded by the provincial government — 50% of $5,491, the “THIS WERK’S. QUESTION: drew pet yaad. North Shore News - *3 “SCHOOL DI funded. by. th Less bureaucracy, amount paid: (per student) to’ the’ West Vancouver School District. +. Tuition fees at ‘the-school range -from $1,000 (for 10 months) for, St. Anthony’ s parishioners to $1, 800 for non-parishioners. Operating expeinse per- stiident ranges from 33, 639 to $4,439. ‘Waldorf Schéol: in North Vancouver is also,a Group’ Lischool receiving 50% of Noith Vancoitver’s allotment of $5,362. ($2,536). - Tuition fees for elementary ‘students are, $5,300 for a 10-month year and | $5,900 for ‘secondary -students.. But - ‘those fees drop considerably for sib- _ lings, which reduces’ the overall cost per student. « Group 1! schools cannot spend more than. the allotted amount per ‘student (in this case $5,073) or else they are reduced to Group 2 2 status. Group 2 schools receive 35% of the “per student” ‘allotment but ‘can spend whatever they like ‘on’a-stu- dent’s education. Operating costs per student do not factor in capital, costs. Should visitors and immigrants. to Canada. be screened for. HIV?”