Premier Christy Clark, Minister of Education Mike Bernier and Finance Minister Mike de Jong will be receiving letters from the Prince George School Board.
The board will write a letter expressing their concerns over the impacts of the administrative savings cuts the district is expected to make this year.
Trustee Sharel Warrington called the cuts “simply wrong” and said the government needs to understand what they’re asking of provincial school boards.
“They need to see the extent of what they’re asking boards of education to do and how, ultimately, it will hurt students. Programs and services are going to be affected, no doubt.”
Warrington says the local school district is already “cut to the bone” when it comes to funding. This year’s administrative savings cuts are expected to total more than $1.35 million.
Warrington says she hopes the provincial government will respond to the board’s concerns.
“We hope that the government is hearing and that other boards are also making this statement and that the ministry will consider the fact that it is not reasonable to continue asking boards of education to find savings.”
A second letter will also be sent to express the board’s frustration at the lack of funding for education in this year’s provincial budget.
Warrington acknowledges that sending letters may seem like an inadequate response to the upcoming cuts.
“The only thing we can do is write letters. Letters really aren’t strong voices but if we have our partner groups to help support us in those letters, that may make a difference. That’s all we can do is try.”
The school board’s resolution states that “any funding reduction affects our students, their classrooms and our remote communities.
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