Media Release, Schools & Students

Vancouver – (June 29, 2016) – The Vancouver Board of Education has rejected a Ministry of Education proposal to partially address a $21.8 million shortfall in the district’s 2016-17 operating budget

The Chair reported that the rejected proposal was to use $5.59 million of future VBE capital assets sales proceeds to address some of the district’s 2016-17 budget shortfall. The proposal did not include any additional provincial funding.

Chair Mike Lombardi said: “Trustees have rejected this ministry proposal because it did not offer adequate, stable, predictable funding to eliminate the 2016-17 shortfall and could potentially worsen future operational shortfalls.”

As authorized by the School Act, the Superintendent has been implementing staff proposals for the 2016-17 operating budget to deal with a $21.8 million shortfall and work towards submitting a balanced budget by June 30, 2016.

The one-time solution would have only mediated a fraction of next year’s $21.8 million shortfall.

Notes for editors

Vancouver School Board chairperson Mike Lombardi will be available to answer questions from the media outside the Vancouver School Board office (1580 West Broadway) on June 30 at 11:00 a.m.

For more information please contact VSB communications at communications@vsb.bc.ca