There's expected to be job losses with support staff in the Vernon School District, but at this point, it's not known how many.The province is no longer providing facilities grants to districts, meaning a loss of 1.6 million dollars to Vernon.Secretary treasurer Randy Hoffman says they're expecting layoffs and uncompleted projects.He says they'll have a better understanding of the implications on their 41 support staff in a few weeks.Elsewhere in the valley, CUPE says 47 staff will be laid off in the Penticton area (Okanagan Skaha District), mostly bus drivers and custodians, while the Central Okanagan gave 17 people layoff notices today.
The province has been handing out the facility grants since 1988 to maintain buildings and sites.Vernon school board chair Bill Turanski is dismayed by the sudden and late announcement of the grant not being renewed.
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News release issued by School District 22 Vernon:
On August 27, 2009 School District No. 22 (Vernon) was advised that the 2009-2010 Annual Facilities Grant (AFG) would not be renewed. This grant was intended to support a program for projects required to maintain facility assets through their anticipated economic life and prevent any premature deterioration of these assets.
This program has been in place since 1988 with the Vernon School District receiving $1,684,000, annually. School District No. 22 has used these funds to maintain the integrity of our buildings and sites. This funding serves to complement our preventative maintenance program. The AFG and regular maintenance (preventative) services save the school district from costs associated with expensive breakdown and emergent issues which result in savings that can be directed into serving student needs.
"Student learning includes having buildings and school properties that are properly maintained to support student learning and the AFG is a major component for support of student learning says Superintendent of Schools Bev Rundell."
On behalf of the Board of Education, Board Chairman Bill Turanski expresses his dismay over the sudden and late announcement of this grant not being renewed. As school commences, projects are being completed based on the assumption that this program funding would be continuing as it has for the past twenty-one years. "The annual facilities grant has allowed us to prioritize funding where the needs are critical and we have also lobbied previous ministers regarding inadequate funding allocations that have not allowed us to do all we need to maintain aging buildings and their infrastructures. We are concerned about the future funding of this program" says Mr. Turanski.
The school district had initiated a number of projects based the expectation of funding in good faith to take advantage of the summer months. The usual roof and flooring replacements, electrical and fire alarm upgrades are routine summer work. In addition, major projects such as heating, ventilating, and air conditioning replacements for JW. Inglis Elementary and Fulton Secondary Schools, and major exterior upgrades to Harwood Elementary and Seaton Secondary Schools were initiated for the summer.
The Vernon School District commences its facility planning in January, the board approves projects in April, followed by staffing and resource purchasing in late spring. The official announcement of the cancellation of the funding came August 27. In mid July, Secretary Treasurer, Randy Hoffman became concerned when the normal quarterly advances of the grant did not arrive and the Ministry of Education could not confirm the status of the program and its funding. As a result the school district began contingency planning based on work started, contracts issued, and priorities established for work against what the district could afford should the funding be delayed; not cancelled. The Board of Trustees held emergency meetings that set a budget of $1,627,000 based on the carry forward of reserves from previous years of funding from the AFG and committing $462,000 from operations and capital reserves to cover cash flow on the expectation the funding would arrive.
"The school district has forty one employees and a number of contractors employed to support these projects. The district is now reviewing the status of the work and the affect on the employees and contracts. Certainly the expectation is there will be lay-offs and projects may not be completed to manage within the financial resources we have" says Secretary Treasurer Hoffman. The district will have a better understanding of these implications in the next few weeks.
The superintendent praises the work of the maintenance department staff and management for the work they do with decreasing resources and their understanding at this time.
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