Yellowknife (Mar 31/06) - Yk District No. 1 plans to dip into its savings next year to cover a $672,255 operating deficit.

The money will come from the public school board’s accumulated surplus which grew by about $700,000 this year thanks to extra funding from the territorial government and other areas, said Yk 1 superintendent Metro Huculak.

Financial facts 2006-2007 proposed budget for Yk 1 Revenue GNWT $18,360,453 Revenue Federal $743,200 Property Tax $4,600,000 Board generated funds $611,500 Total $24,315,153 Expenditures School programs: $16,941,717 Inclusive schooling: $3,502,213 Accommodation: $120,500 Operations: $2,306,138 Aboriginal programs: $601,484 Administration: $1,243,356 Total $24,715,408

This year, the department of Education, Culture and Employment gave the district $150,000 for fuel, $50,000 for students with special needs, $123,000 for literacy programs, $70,000 for capital projects, as well as $22,000 for French language programming this year. Yk 1 also received $133,000 extra in city taxes and lower insurance costs saved the board $200,000.

Yk 1 is hurting financially because it continues to lose students. Enrolment has dropped by 94 so far this year and has fallen by 200 students during the past three years.

Board trustees held their annual ratepayers meeting to discuss its 2006-2007 budget on Tuesday evening at Ecole J.H. Sissons.

The district plans to spend $24,715,408 during the next year, even though it will only receive $24,315,153 in revenue.

Even with fewer students, Yk 1 isn’t looking to get rid of teachers, but hopes to make up the difference by moving staff into other jobs and through attrition.

“We are trying to re-allocate our teachers to keep them at Yk 1,” said Huculak.

There are more than 113 classroom staff this year, but only 108.5 positions have been budgeted next year. Twenty-one staff members are on extended leave.

The board predicts enrolment will be up by 50-75 students next year.

Huculak said the district is aggressively trying to boost enrolment, with campaigns to attract new students into its French immersion programs. Yk 1 offers immersion starting in kindergarten and plans a late immersion pilot project in the fall targeted at Grade 6 students.

More money will be spent on student support, with plans for five additional classroom assistants for higher-needs students, a person to work with the hospital’s speech language pathologist, a half-time French immersion assistant and other moves.

Capital improvements include renovations to William McDonald school’s industrial education and home economics labs and technology upgrades at N.J. Macpherson and Mildred Hall schools.

Just five parents attended the meeting and they seemed pleased with increased spending on classroom assistants for children with special needs and William McDonald renovations.

Some were upset special programming like the new fine arts program to be offered at N.J. Macpherson and William McDonald isn’t available district-wide.

“Special programming like the fine arts program at N.J. Macpherson happen when the right mix of teaching and facilities meet,” said Trustee Terry Brookes.

Trustees said the board provides the best base education, but it’s up to individual schools and parent advisory committees to demonstrate the need for these programs in their schools. The budget is expected to be approved at the board’s April 11 meeting.