Megan Dykeman (Township) 芒鈧�� No. Our school district is facing the same challenges as other school districts in the province; rising costs are not being matched with funding increases. This is the same reality individual families face every day. When funding levels are either frozen or declining and costs are increasing, even if due to nothing more than inflation, it is impossible to continue for a lengthy period, without the result becoming obvious.
Trudy Handel (Township) 芒鈧�� No. Class size and composition is still the number one problem in our education system. Until that is solved 芒鈧�� and it won芒鈧劉t be solved without the province 芒鈧�� the issue is just going to get worse. Everyone is stressed 芒鈧�� students, teachers and parents. Now the Township of 91原创 is being hit with a double whammy 芒鈧�� we have the existing class size and composition problem and we芒鈧劉re being told there will be no new schools 芒鈧�� even as our north slope population of school age children explodes.
Kristine Ketter (Township) 芒鈧�� No. It is very clear that schools are not currently being fully funded by the provice. There has not been an increase in the per pupil funds received and yet the Ministry is expecting school district to take on more cost pressures.
Suzanne Perreault (Township) 芒鈧�� The school district has gone through some incredible changes in the last few years by ways of seeing new staff members come in at the District level, interfacing with a deficit to clear up and a Trustee campaign. In the midst of it all they rose up and shown themselves to be good stewards of funding and their respective roles. However, I would like to see more attention paid to the Level I, II & III Special Needs designation and how monies are distributed and allocated to schools. That will be an area I will continue to pay attention to.
Rod Ross (Township) 芒鈧�� Yes. A wealthy friend once said to me, 芒鈧揑t not how much money you make, it芒鈧劉s what you do with the money you make.芒鈧� I am not in favour of being angry at Victoria for what it sends us each year in block funding. Sure I would like more芒鈧ut there has never been a year where we didn芒鈧劉t want for more funding! The operating budget every year eats up everything we give it and more. I have always been a proponent of revenue generation and will always be so. We have a successful International Student Program that generates millions each year. Add to it we also have the 91原创 School District Foundation with over $2.2 million in the bank to support our students. Victoria needs to come to the plate with its responsibilities and 91原创 must do its part to be prudent on how it spends what it is given. Remember the more money for education just means less for health and any other ministry. There is only one tax payer and we are paying very high rates of property tax each year already.
