Whereas public education funding increases in British Columbia BC have not kept up with increases in basic costs and inflation, and BC is now second to last in per student funding in Canada by providing approximately 1000 below the national average per student; And whereas the Government of BC has not followed the recommendations of its own Legislative Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, for the government to adequately invest in public education: Therefore be it resolved that to ensure our constituents do not face rural discrimination, the boards of education in rural BC receive adequate funding to maintain busing for rural area students; stop more closures of rural schools; increase levels of services to all students; adequately fund public education; and stop any further erosion of the same.
Ministry of Education The Ministry provided 4.932 billion in operating grants during the 201617 school year, and estimates that it will be providing 4.998 billion for the 201718 school year, an increase of 66 million in operating funding for school districts. Over the last 15 years, total operating funding has increased by 31.5 percent, with average per pupil funding increasing by 42.3 percent. The Ministry also provides additional funds through a number of Special Purpose Grants. For instance, the Classroom Enhancement Fund CEF will add an estimated 376 million in additional funds to allow school districts to hire approximately 3,500 additional teachers for the 201718 school year, thereby allowing students to learn in smaller classes and returning more specialist teachers to schools. It should be noted that every school district is receiving additional funds through CEF. The funding formula for operating funding is consistently applied to all districts, is student-based, and is equitable. It includes weighted factors to distribute additional funds to school districts with rural areas, small communities, or where students are widely dispersed, thereby ensuring that operational funds reflect the unique conditions of each school district. It is estimated that rural school districts contain 32 percent of the funded students and receive 36 per cent of operating funding. Rural school districts have a per pupil average funding of 10,151 per student FTE, compared with a provincial average of 9,069, and receive 85.3 percent of the allocations for geographic supplements. These allocations have increased 18.2 percent since 200708. Although home-to-school transportation is a discretionary service that Boards of Education are not obligated to provide, they do have the flexibility and autonomy to allocate their operating funding in accordance with local priorities and decisions, including transportation. To provide further assistance to school districts, the Student Transportation Fund STF provides an additional on-going special purpose grant of 14.7 million to improve the affordability of transportation services, as well as ensure more equitable and affordable access for students. Government also appreciates the tough decisions that local Boards of Education sometimes have to make regarding school closures and amalgamation, while understanding parent and community concerns about the possibility of their school closing. Nevertheless, the Government is aware that there are 140 communities with only one school; the Rural Education Enhancement Fund REEF recognizes the importance of preserving schools in small rural communities. School districts may apply for REEF funding if their schools are at risk of closure and meet the eligibility criteria. Currently, for the 201718 school year, there are 11 schools in 8 school districts approved for 3.4 million in funding through REEF which allows those schools to remain open and reduces the need for long travel times for those students in the local area. During the 201617 school year, Government conducted a rural education review with open houses held across the province, including in the Kootenay region. The Government learned a great deal about the challenges facing rural schools and is aware of the significant social and economic impacts that schools have on their local communities. Through the review, and the feedback of many school districts across the province, Government recognizes the necessity of developing stable educational funding capable of meeting rural challenges as well as the needs of fast growing regions. Consequently, the feedback from the rural education review will inform the upcoming K-12 funding review so we can allocate funding to meet the challenges facing public education across the province.