Christine Grimard
Northern News Services
Friday, April 20, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - The public school board is dipping heavily into surplus funds to make ends meet during this school year and the next.

Yk Education District No. 1 held a meeting Wednesday to discuss its budget for 2007-2008 school year.

Fewer than half a dozen members of the public attended.

According to the proposed budget, the Department of Education Culture and Employment has cut Yk 1 funding by $200,000. Education Minister Charles Dent warned the cut was coming in early March as he pressured the board to hand over one of its schools to Yellowknife Catholic Schools while St. Joseph school undergoes a retrofit.

Yk 1 will receive $20,466,191 from the territorial government next year, but even though that's $2.1 million more than this year, the board will spend from its accumulated surplus to balance the books.

The increased revenue is due to higher enrolment expected in the fall. This year, Yk 1 saw the number of student rise 2.4 per cent.

Total revenue expected next year is $26,367,691, with expenditures of $26,365,667.

The board will also transfer $195,025 into its capital fund, leaving the district with a $193,000 deficit.

This year, the board is predicting an operating deficit of $800,000 this year.

According to Yk 1 estimates, the 2006/2007 and 2007-2008 deficits are expected to cut its $2.2 million surplus account to around $1.2 million.

"(Trustees) wanted to put that money into programming for kids rather than savings," said Tram Do director of Corporate Services.

That will put the surplus below the five per cent target adopted by the board.

"That $200,000 is like being put in the penalty box," said Duff Spence, vice-chairperson for Yk 1.

Both Spence and Do said they used conservative estimates for revenues and enrolment.

They are both optimistic that they might be able to make up that five percent.

According to Do, the $165,631.34 received for leasing classrooms to YCS after the St. Joe's fire this year was spent to hire more teachers at the beginning of the school year.

Spence also attributed the increase in revenue to more parents choosing to allocate their property taxes to Yk1. He said the board has been working to educate parents on assigning their taxes.

While property taxes are by default divided to the school boards based on enrolment, parents can choose to assign what amount goes to each school board.

Spence made a point to note that the increase in revenues was not a result of an increase in taxes.

In addition to continuing initiatives that were started last year, new initiatives for next year include a board wide program for gifted students.

The board also budgeted for an expansion of the athletic excellence program, support for student transition into high school, and late French immersion.

The board will add one more classroom teacher for next year.

The board will wait for final enrolment numbers before deciding to keep or increase the extra 3.75 teaching positions that were added at the beginning of last year.

Although several new positions have been added for 2007/2008,

Do said the majority of these positions will be filled by staff moving around rather than adding additional staff.

Money has also been allocated for technology upgrades at Range Lake North School and William McDonald school. Funds have also been set aside to establish a cosmetology lab at Sir John Franklin High school if the need is expressed.

The budget is set to be approved by the board of trustees on May 8, and will be submitted to ECE on June 30.