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Vancouver School Board questions provincial funding
VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980)
Laura Baziuk | Email news tips to laura.baziuk@corusent.com
3/14/2013

The chair of the Vancouver School Board is concerned the provincial government appears to be taking more money away from classrooms.

Every year, the province gives school districts grant money to upgrade their buildings, about $110 million in total.
 
For the upcoming school year, Patti Bacchus says the ministry has told districts it's giving them $15 million in advance for facilities upgrades.
 
But she says they're taking that from a separate fund that's already earmarked for school boards, and not refilling the cash from their own budget.
 
"So they're basically picking the pockets of school boards to give them their annual facilities grant. They've dowloaded, in my opinion, just over $15.6 million worth of funding today."

A ministry spokesman maintains the action is 'appropriate'.


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  1. Ron_26 posted on 03/14/2013 07:34 PM
    Huh? So they're giving a portion of the fund earlier than usual? How's that a bad thing? Am I missing something?
    1. ChrisM_18 posted on 03/14/2013 10:38 PM
      @Ron_26 I read it that the money is being taken from another. Schoolboard. Pot so its a bit of robbing Peter to pay Paul.
  2. BCParent01 posted on 03/14/2013 09:53 PM
    How is that wrong? They are getting their money, early. School Boards are getting as greedy as the unions. So much waste and corruption. Can't trust their finances.
  3. RichardF_4221 posted on 03/15/2013 07:58 AM
    Seems that the Vancouver School Board has the attitude that they are the only school board in the province.

    Not sure if it's difficult wording but I can't see a problem in them getting money a little early.

    Seems to me they are getting money to do needed repairs this school year, rather than in the summer for next year?
  4. DougF_4971 posted on 03/15/2013 08:30 AM
    ChrisM_18 has it correct. The net result means school districts have just had 15 million cut from their operating budget.
  5. True Blue posted on 03/15/2013 08:30 AM
    For those of you who seem to be confused as to what the problem is...

    "But she says they're taking that from a separate fund that's already earmarked for school boards, and not refilling the cash from their own budget. "

    "So they're basically picking the pockets of school boards to give them their annual facilities grant. They've downloaded, in my opinion, just over $15.6 million worth of funding today."

    Hope that helps clarify things... carry on.
    1. Ron_26 posted on 03/15/2013 09:10 AM
      @True Blue not really. It still sounds like a chunk of the whole was just given early.
    2. Dale - left coast posted on 03/15/2013 10:27 AM
      @True Blue Earmarked and GIVEN are two different exercises . . . Hard for you to understand I know . . . . but . . .
      If I promise to give you a hundred dollars . . . you don't have the money . . . but when I give it to you . . . you actually can go Spend It . . . Understand Now?
      Penny is a clueless Socialist . . . she still talks about how education has been cut every year . . . as the per student volume of dollars going into the Vancouver School Board increases . . .
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