The Greater Essex County District School Board has approved a balanced budget for the school year starting in September.
The $407-million budget includes an almost $13-million accumulated operating surplus.
Superintendent of Business Cathy Lynd says balancing the books wasn't easy because of changes in the provincial funding formula. "There's also new requirements for schools to apply for enhanced top up funding," she says. "Under the new model for us, only two schools qualified."
The change means the school board will lose $707,000 in funding in each of the next two years.
Lynd admits in the long run, the loss in enrollment and subsequent funding will hurt. "We'll wait to see what the recommendations are from our current PARC (programming accommodation review committee) are in the fall," she says. "Depending on what happens there, you either have to reduce your empty spaces or you have to make changes in programming."
The board has already announced the loss of 43 teaching and 14 early childhood educator positions, although Lynd admits some of those positions may be reinstated if enrollment is higher than expected in the new school year.
The changes provincially did yield one benefit for the school board: funding for special education will increase by $1-million.
