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Public board wants your help in balancing next year's budget Board struggling with $2.5-M funding shortfall By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF 5 · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, May 8, 2009 This weekend Check out our wonderful assortment of gift ideas MOTHER'S DAY ESPECIALLY FOR MOM! Don't forget The Halton District School Board is going to the public for suggestions on how to address its 2009/10 budget challenges. The final budget will be brought before trustees in June, but the latest draft shows the public school board is facing a funding shortfall of roughly $2.5 million from the Ministry of Education. The dates, times and locations of the three public budget meetings will be determined in the coming days, but are tentatively set for the weeks of May 18, May 25 and June 1. "We think it is important to hear what people have to say," said Steven Parfeniuk, superintendent of business services with the public school board. "What we're trying to do is engage the public by asking them what is working and what they think that we need in our schools, whether it is textbooks or technology." There isn't an easy fix, which is one reason the school board is going to the public, Parfeniuk said. They might have ideas board staff has not yet come up with, he said. "We will not be able to do everything we did last year, next year," said Parfeniuk. "In a real sense, we have fewer dollars in 20092010 than we had in 2008-2009." Reductions in provincial funding are in four areas, including: · professional development ($800,000, which includes $200,000 from special education) · computer technology ($650,000) · textbooks and learning materials ($650,000) - special education ($370,000) Education Minister Kathleen Wynne determined these areas of reduction so that designated funding in other areas, for things like teachers, would not be affected, according to Parfeniuk. "The minister, when I heard her speak about these categories, she clearly picked them so we didn't lose from other categories," he said. "We can't say that school boards are going to start cutting teaching staff, or the minister cut utilities, or the minister cut transportation, because she didn't do that." Despite funding cuts to some items in the budget, staffing is actually increasing next year. This is much-needed news, as the HDSB is the fastest growing school board in the province, surpassing even Peel. Elementary enrolment is expected to increase by 992 students for fall 2009, with secondary enrolment going up by 231 students. "People know how fast Peel has grown in the past, but Peel's elementary growth next year is about 500 students, so we are twice the growth that Peel has," Parfeniuk said. "We're seeing the continual migration in the GTA from Toronto to Peel, Caledon and now to Halton." Most of the growth is being seen in north Oakville and Milton due to new housing development. Burlington is seeing only a modest increase in student numbers, while there is a decline in Halton Hills. This student growth is being addressed by staffing increases for the next school year. Some of the specifics are 62.74 elementary teachers (including 2.62 special education), 32.41 secondary teachers (including 2.16 special education), 3.7 principals, 3 vice-principals, 13.47 caretakers and 7.9 clerical staff. New schools are also on tap for the next two years, with two elementary schools opening in Milton in fall 2009, and five new schools welcoming students in fall 2010, including elementary schools Palermo and Clearview in Oakville, elementary school Orchard in Burlington, and an elementary and high school in Milton. 1410 Speers Road, Oakville (between 3rd Line & 4th Line on the South side) (905) 827-9337 BUY LOCALLY SERVICE LOCALLY SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY Phone: (905) 825-8088 www.volvoofoakville.com C O L L E C T I O N by Kingsman Visit our showroom to see this model and all our 35 models burning on display. Absolute elegance at a sensible price. 3600 Laird Rd., Units 12 & 13, Mississauga, ON Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9-5, Sat. 10-4, Sun. 12-4 SERVICE DEPARTMENT OPEN SATURDAYS www.ontariohearth.com 905.569.2404