The Delta School District is estimating a relatively small budget shortfall for the coming school year, one that will be balanced without cuts to staffing or student services.
Thursday morning (April 17), the district released its proposed annual operating budget for 2025/26 of $203.103 million, a decrease of $1.421 million from its 2024/25 Amended Annual Operating Budget of $204.524 million.
The decrease is due to an anticipated drop in enrolment (more graduating Grade 12s this Spring than incoming kindergarten students this fall), from 16,396 in the 2024/25 Amended Annual Operating Budget to a forecasted 16,175 in the upcoming school year. Those numbers may change, and final funding will reflect actual enrolment once the school year is underway.
The dip in funding caused by the estimated 221 fewer students puts the district in “funding protection,” which is an additional amount to protect against any funding decline larger than 1.5 per cent when compared to the previous year.
Still, the district is projecting a $188,000 shortfall, representing about 0.1 per cent of next year’s budgeted operating expenses.
About 90 per cent of the district’s operating costs are staffing-related. According to a district press release, key drivers of the shortfall include unfunded wage and benefit increases, unavoidable inflationary increases and other non-salary related cost pressures, illness cost increases and a decrease in investment income caused by lower interest rates.
“High inflation and significant increases to unavoidable costs, such as technology and cybersecurity measures and leave-related expenses, combined with reductions and uncertainties in revenue sources, have put a great deal of pressure on our budget,” district secretary treasurer Nicola Christ said in a press release.
“Our long-term strategy includes identifying budget reductions, ensuring the sustainability of prior reserve-funded initiatives by incorporating them into the operating budget, and addressing ever-increasing technology needs and risks. At the same time, we strive to maximize the value of our reserve dollars by prioritizing key strategic areas such as support for Inclusive Learning.”
B.C.’s Education Ministry announced March 13 overall operating grant of $179.15 million for the Delta School District, including a 1.1 per cent increase in per-pupil funding.
However, according to the district’s press release, this increase is not new or additional funding but rather the inclusion of the cost-of-living adjustment for teachers and support staff, administrator increases and teacher Pro-D funding that were previously funded through a separate grant.
The district further noted the per-pupil increase “has not addressed the full impact of inflation and other costs, including increases to Employment Insurance, WorkSafe, employee leave costs, and benefit rates.”
While enrolment in the district’s International Student Program remains strong, operational and logistical costs have risen significantly, leading to a net decrease in generated revenue. And while program fees have increased for the coming years to help address these costs, the district “must also consider what the market will bear.”
To address the shortfall without anyone losing their jobs, while also incorporating feedback the district received from stakeholders and the public during Phase 1 of the budget input process, staff propose implementing “strategic balancing initiatives” containing both budgetary savings ($1.395 million) and additional costs ($1.207 million).
Savings will be achieved in part by reducing Facilities and School Board Office costs ($112,000); eliminating an unfilled position in Facilities ($72,000); restructuring in Continuing Education that will cut a 0.5 full time-equivalent (FTE) clerical support position that was already scheduled to end on June 30 ($44,000); holding District Day, the district-wide Pro-D event, every three years instead of every other year ($25,000); using residual savings from the transition away from discontinued programs such as Farm Roots and various academies ($141,000); and adjusting a 12-month Inclusive Learning clerical position to a 10-month position ($16,000).
As well, the cost of the Coordinators of Inquiry (COI) initiative, which provides a few hours a week for teacher coordinators to work alongside staff in their school around a specific area of focus to help improve student learning and/or teacher practice, will come out of reserve funds next year, freeing up $455,000 in operating budget while the district assesses how to maximize the program’s effectiveness moving forward.
A further $530,000 in savings will come by reallocating funding for 3.95 FTE vacant contingency teacher positions. Classroom Enhancement Funding received over the last four years has increased capacity and support in classrooms, meaning funding for the contingency teacher positions can be reallocated without impacting actual staffing levels.
Meanwhile, additional costs include an increase to school budgets to help address inflationary pressures and the higher costs of learning resources and supplies for students ($50,000); funding for two full-time on-call clerical itinerant staff to ensure schools have access to additional reliable, trained clerical support when needed without having to pay for it out of their own budgets ($147,000), and the addition of 0.9 FTE vice-principal administrator time, split across eight of the district’s elementary schools, to enable administrators (who teach part-time in classrooms) to provide extra support to students and school staff ($119,000, to pay for teachers to take over that additional classroom time).
As well, to address feedback received through the budget engagement process that called for more Inclusive Education support in classrooms, the district will be increasing funding for Inclusive Learning by $191,000 to provide more staffing and other resources to help meet students’ needs.
Costs for three initiatives previously funded from reserve funds are being added to the operating budget: MyEd, the province’s secure online portal used by school districts and families for accessing and managing student educational information ($243,000); one FTE emergency preparedness position ($124,000); and 0.5 FTE of peer support ($80,000).
The district is also budgeting an additional $253,000 for increased IT staffing to support learning systems and address growing concerns about privacy, security and cybercrime, particularly in relation to student data.
The public now has the opportunity to let Delta’s school board know what they think about the draft budget before trustees vote to amend or approve it on April 29.
Parents and stakeholders can provide their feedback directly by attending and speaking at the budget public input meeting on Tuesday, April 22. The session begins at 7:30 p.m. at the school district’s head office (4585 Harvest Dr. in Ladner). To sign up to speak at the meeting, email kaquino@deltaschools.ca by noon on Monday, April 21.
Members of the public can also provide input by emailing budget@deltaschools.ca, or by completing the online survey at forms.gle/VBHHCD2kjakfcJz86, by noon on April 21.
