School Board grapples with budget difficulties

BY KIRK STARRATT

kstarratt@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

There are challenges facing the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board (AVRSB) when it comes to balancing its budget, but soon-to-retire superintendent Dr. Norm Dray says the current drop-out rate compares very favourably to Canadian standards.

In what will probably be his final presentation as AVRSB superintendent to Kings County council at the November committee of the whole (COTW) session, Dray said they had a very difficult budget last year and there’s a need to lobby the province for additional funding. He said anything council could do in terms of lobbying would be greatly appreciated.

The board used $1 million of a $1.7 million surplus generated during Dray’s time as superintendent to balance the last budget and this was after $2.5 million in cuts were made. The government placed restrictions on how much of the surplus could be used to balance the budget.

He said this coming spring would be a difficult time for the board. If they don’t receive 4.5 per cent extra funding, the board could be faced with severe staff cuts in both board offices and schools. Dray said they might have to use their entire surplus to balance this year’s budget. However, he pointed out that with a budget of $123 million, the $1.7 million surplus they had prior to this year isn’t a lot of money.

Dray said they have never had to do formal layoffs in the board. However, he expects that with people moving and retirements, any staff cuts would hopefully come through attrition.

Low drop-out rate ‘absolutely fantastic’

On another note, the board is doing extremely well keeping students engaged and in school. Dray said the drop-out rate is currently 3.37 per cent, which is “absolutely fantastic by Canadian standards.” For example, the drop-out rate in Quebec is about 18 per cent and about 20 per cent in Alberta. “We have worked very hard in this area,” Dray said.

Enrollment is an ongoing concern for the board, as the trend nationwide is toward declining enrollment. The board lost 226 students this year, even with the age of entry for Grade Primary being rolled back by three months. Without the 180 additional Primary students, enrollment across the board would have dropped by 406 students.

On average, the board has been losing about 300 students per year due to changing demographics, fewer on the eastern end of the board’s area and more on the western side. It is expected that enrollment in the eastern end of the board’s area will decrease by about 20 per cent over the next five years.

“We’ve lost the equivalent of three Horton Highs in the last 10 years,” Dray said.

Councillor Chris Parker said, since municipal education funding transfers to the province are based on population, he hopes enrollment projections could be shared with the county’s Corporate Services Department. Even though enrolment is down, the cost per student is going up. Parker pointed out that, as the number of children with special needs increases, there is no additional funding to meet their needs.

Dray said there is an ongoing facility review to make sure the board is making the best use of its funding and resources. All schools in Annapolis County and the eastern Kings portion of the board’s coverage area are being reviewed, as well as elementary schools in West Hants. Public meetings have been held in all affected areas, but the board isn’t taking any more submissions on the matter until April 1.

Other concerns

Dray said Nova Scotia has the lowest percentage of students of any province in Canada going to community college. He said the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) is a great option and we’re not getting enough skilled tradespeople.

He said a memorandum of understanding would be signed soon between the board and the NSCC. They have programs to help get AVRSB students on NSCC campuses, including the Test Drive program where high school students visit and try a college program on for size.

“It’s not where it should be,” Dray said in regard to the number of students choosing the NSCC option.

Warden Fred Whalen asked about the value of RCMP school liaison officers. Dray said the positions are very helpful to school administrators and the liaisons are very important to principals when it comes to dealing with legal situations. Officers in schools are meeting and talking to students and this helps build relationships outside a law-breaking situation.

There has been a substantial decrease in vandalism in schools and RCMP liaisons have been key advisors in emergency planning. Dray said he thinks the school liaison program is important.

Whalen asked if smoking is still a problem in area schools. He said he hasn’t noticed as many students smoking in the streets outside schools and it was a safety concern. Dray said his understanding is the situation is under control. On closed campuses, students can go to visible, designated areas off-campus to smoke. There is still a problem, but schools have had some success in curtailing the problem.

Is there a drug problem?

Councillor Dick Killam asked how bad the drug problem is in local schools. Dray said a lot of the problem is the proximity to the supply of drugs. The more rural the school, the less access students have. For example, he said the problem is probably worse here than it is in Yarmouth, but not as bad as in a more urban area like Halifax. The AVRSB has a firm suspension policy in regard to drug use and they offer treatment and counselling programs for students with drug problems.

Councillor Wayne Atwater asked if any progress had been made in regard to the board supporting “buy local” initiatives. Dray said schools have been given purchase cards and have latitude to buy locally up to $1,000. Anything over that amount must go through the board’s procurement policy.

Councillor John Fuller said he has concerns that civics are no longer being taught in schools and this could be one reason why voter turnouts for elections have been so low. Dray said he agrees schools in the province need to focus more strongly on civics.

Deputy Warden Diana Brothers said that when Dray, who will soon retire, took over as superintendent from Dr. Jim Gunn, he was told he had some big shoes to fill. She said he has done a fantastic job doing so.