Schools team up to fight cuts

Schools in Kings County, like Somerset and St. Mary's, are being short-changed.

Because of declining enrolments, the 5.2 per cent per student increase announced in the provincal budget amounts to an increase of only 3.6 per cent in K-12 spending. This is well below the overall budget spending increase; this is the action Tories are taking, despite on-going major concerns about inadequate EA support education. The budget this year also cuts $10 million, more than 25 per cent of the budget, from activities related to evaluation of courses and programs and assessment of students. These type of cuts to the public education system are wrong and will damage our education system.

Only a few months ago, Finance Minister Michael Baker was urging "belt-tightening," predicting a surplus of $60 million, but the budget showed a surplus of $100 million for 2006/ 2007. How did that happen? How can government underestimate a surplus by $40 million? Over the last seven years, provincial revenues have increased by $1.7 billion. Yes, folks, that’s a B for billions. An amazing 58 per cent of that revenue was not budgeted.

In this year’s budget, they have slashed the Somerset and St. Mary's school projects. How can government be so misleading for our children's education? As a parent and taxpayer, I am mad as hell. There was a joint home and school meeting with St. Mary's planned for April 11. School board representatives and local politicans were invited.

Jason Langille,

Black Rock