President’s Column

2008 – 2009 Delta Board of Education Budget

Representatives of the CUPE 1091, the Delta Teachers' Association and the Delta District Parent Advisory Committee, met with Secretary Treasurer Grant McRadu, and Superintendent Steve Cardwell on April 21, 2008 to receive information concerning the proposed 2008 – 2009 Delta Board of Education Budget. At the meeting, the DTA was informed that Senior District Staff would be recommending a budget which will see $3.082 million cut from the 2008 –2009 Operating Budget, with fewer resources and personnel in virtually every realm of school district activity. With salaries representing almost 90% of the district’s total budget, it is inevitable that the cuts being contemplated will result in layoffs of both teaching and support staff, with district administrative time also being curtailed. While the effect of these planned cuts on everyone employed by the Delta School District is acknowledged, remarks here will focus on the impact on DTA members and their students.

In smaller elementary schools, principals will see their administrative time curtailed by .2, meaning that principals will have to teach .2 in order to maintain their full-time status. One obvious outcome of this measure is that a school-based non-enrolling teacher will lose .2 of their assignment. In addition, Teacher-Librarian time in Delta's three smallest elementary schools will be further cut below current levels which are in the vicinity of .6 FTE. At the secondary level, Vice-Principals will now be teaching one block in addition to their administrative duties; teachers will lose work as a result. Proposed budget cuts will also bring increases to class sizes at the secondary level. When non-enrolling teachers are absent due to illness, teachers-on-call may not immediately be assigned to replace them. Teachers-on-call will also be adversely affected as a result of a marked reduction in the amount of TOC support for in-service activities held during school hours.