School District 60 board raises inflation issues with Legislative Assembly of BC

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — School District 60’s board of trustees recently raised issues on inflation costs not being accounted for in its budget with a Legislative Assembly of British Columbia committee.

School District 60 board chair Helen Gilbert said schools are seeing risings costs for supplies but cannot increase the budget to account for the rise in inflation without the Ministry of Education itself increasing funds provided to the district.

The 2023 and 2024 per-student budgets had an increase to cover the costs of the negotiated wage settlements, she said, but it still does not cover inflationary costs.

Gilbert said they managed to balance the budget for the coming year but hopes the ministry will consider inflation in the future.

On June 6th, the board presented to the Select Standing Committee on Finances and Government Services 2024, making three recommendations, including adding inflation costs to the school budget.

“The reality is that supply costs have increased in most areas but especially in transportation and custodial,” said the board’s recommendation on inflation to the committee.

“Delivery costs to bring items to the north have increased… Most of our part cost percentage increases are actually above the inflation rate.  As more of our operating budget is being used for things like this, there will be an impact on the opportunities that we are able to provide for students.”

When gas prices rose considerably in May and June last year, the school district reportedly faced increased fuel costs and delivery charges.

In the board’s 2022 presentation to the Select Standing Committee on Finances and Government Services for 2023, it focused on how it spent more than the provincial average on transportation and faced increased costs for multiple reasons, including inflation.

Gilbert said the 2022 and 2023 budget allocations from the Ministry of Education did not cover the increases caused by inflation.

The ministry reportedly installed a year-long fund called the Student Affordability Fund that recognized the impact inflation had on families. Gilbert said the same recognition was not shown for school districts.

The Student Affordability Fund does not continue into the 2023 and 2024 school years, but a new food program called Feeding Futures that will support universal food programs in schools.

In the June 6th presentation, the board also recommended northern factors, such as transportation, facility upgrades and rural connectivity, be explored and addressed through funding revisions.

The other recommendation from the board focused on recruitment and retention in the region, including programs to increase salaries if teachers relocate to the north.