WHEREAS schools are a fundamental component of a healthy, vibrant community and vital to a communitys future well-being; AND WHEREAS the Ministry of Education funds students in rural and remote schools according to a formula that recognizes Unique Geographic Factors, such as weather, transportation and distance; AND WHEREAS many of the funding factors have been frozen for years: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM lobby the provincial government to review the current school funding formula so that it better reflects the needs of students in remote and rural communities.
Ministry of Education A Technical Review Committee is appointed every fall to review various features of the funding formula and recommend improvements to the Minister of Education. This committee consists of representatives from the BC School District Secretary-Treasurers Association, the BC Superintendents Association and the Ministry of Education. The committee regularly examines geographic and transportation funding. As well, the committee considers the issues related to funding for small, rural districts and will continue to do so when the committee reconvenes during the 200607 school year. A number of changes to the Funding Allocation System were implemented in 200607 specifically for the benefit of small and rural districts. The Funding Protection Supplement, which limits year-to-year declines in operating grant funding to a maximum of 1 percent, assists districts that would otherwise experience large funding declines resulting from considerable enrolment declines. Additionally, the threshold for eligibility for the Supplement for Significant Cumulative Enrolment Decline was lowered, allowing more districts to qualify for this supplement.