Dear Editor,
Like health, public education is an essential service for Albertans.
Unlike health, public education is subject to year-to-year budget announcements which wreak havoc with our efforts to plan and innovate in our schools. This past year provided a painful illustration of the costs of year-to-year budget announcements for public education.
The Alberta economy faltered. The government tightened its belt. Our school board had to pare $1.13 million (including the projected enrolment decline) to achieve a balanced budget - $0.56 million not considering enrolment decline. Our school board made a number of difficult decisions.
We:
• took $125,000 from reserves;
• eliminated 12 full-time equivalent teaching positions across the division which will mean larger class sizes and less supports for the classroom;
• consolidated the departments of Plant Operations &Maintenance and Student Transportation in an effort to minimize the negative impact of budget reductions on core service delivery;
• eliminated 15 support staff positions across the division, as well as reduced work hours of other support staff which will mean decreased services for the classroom and decreased system supports.
Frankly we look with envy at how Alberta’s health system is funded. Recently, the government announced a five-year budget commitment to Alberta Health.
We believe it’s time public education was put on the same footing as health. With a long-term budget commitment, our school board could launch and implement with confidence plans and initiatives that are meaningful, innovative and achievable – and that make a difference for students.
Predictable, sustainable funding would give our school board the flexibility to hire and retain the great teachers that so benefit our children.
Predictable, sustainable funding would allow us to introduce and sustain the innovative programs we know will make a difference for students.
Consistency and stability is critical for our kids’ education. For too long Alberta has budgeted against the ups and downs of the price of natural gas. Unlike the price of natural gas, which can swing up and down, the fundamental principle that we provide a stellar education to young Albertans does not fluctuate with the economy. In fact, when Alberta’s resource-based economy flounders, the strongest foundation we could possibly lean on is a vibrant world-class public education system. To allow public education to initiate, implement and sustain proactive long-term planning for students, education funding should not be tied to the price fluctuation of oil and gas.
Our school board is joining the Alberta School Boards Association to ask our government to make regular deposits into the public education portfolio so we can smooth out the boom and bust cycle for our students.
As Albertans, we invite you to pass this message along to those who can make a difference.
Douglas Fleming
Board Chair
Pembina Hills Regional Division No. 7
