The Nicola-Similkameen School District 58 (SD58) held a public meeting last week to discuss its budget development process for the upcoming year.
Due to the budgetary restraints placed on SD58, there will be a total of $1,695,000 from 14.85 full-time equivalents (FTE) staffing cuts, which will include the complete removal of the Grade 7 Band and Summer Reading programs. One main area of concern for SD58 was the $1.5 million in expected budget pressures which will lead to hundreds of thousands in cuts.
The budget meeting took place on April 17 in Princeton, outlining the 2025-26 budget background and context, development process, strategic priority setting, budget pressures, recommended strategies and next steps as it prepares for the next school year.
The estimated budget pressures that were identified are:
- Decrease in enrolment: $500,000
- Structural shortfall from the 2024-25 forecast: $325,000
- Increased benefits: $240,000
- Inflationary costs (legal, insurance, digital): $215,000
- Increased replacement costs: $120,000
- Teacher increments: $100,000
- Increased replacement costs: $120,000
SD58 cited a declining birth rate as the key factor in the enrolment decrease, which is projected to see a 5.35 per cent decline in 2025-26 compared to 2021-22, equivalent to approximately a $900,000 reduction in revenue.
There is, however, expected to be a 26.07 and 15.15 per cent increases in online and inclusive learning respectively.
With the decrease in revenue and increase in expenditures, SD58 highlighted structural changes that are required going forward:
- Right size the district based on steady, declining enrolment
- Lean on strategic plan priorities to assess mitigation strategies
- Maintain classroom resources as much as possible
- Balanced approach between employee groups
- Staggered approach to building accumulated surplus back up to two to four per cent
The budget is split into two areas, with 84 per cent going toward salaries and benefits and 16 per cent going toward services and supplies.
Staffing decreases include:
- Enrolling teachers: 7.50 FTE and $901,000
- Online: 4.00 FTE and $392,000
- Enhancing Learning Teachers: 1.37 FTE and $164,000
- Librarians: 0.78 FTE and $93,000
- Grade 7 Band program: 0.50 FTE and $60,000
- Summer Reading program: 0.40 FTE and $44,000
- French immersion at Merritt Secondary: 0.30 FTE and $30,000
- Teacher Mentorship program: 0.00 FTE and $11,000
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) will face cuts as well, with a total of 14.50 FTE cuts totalling $714,000.
Decreases in CUPE positions include shift and closing room custodians, educational assistants, tradespeople, clerical and transportation.
SD58 will be making increases to some areas as well, totalling 9.23 FTE and $1,107,000 for learning assistant teachers, councillors and English language learning teachers.
The next steps in the process include public feedback on the recommendations made by SD58, and any changes that are supported will be made to the final recommendations.
The Board of Education will consider recommendations during budget deliberations on May 7 and 14 before it can be approved by the June 30 deadline.
