On Tuesday, the Physical Planning, Finance, and Building Committee discussed a $517,000 surplus from 2025-’26, suggesting that it be used to hire more Educational Assistants.
“Can we choose to use surplus in a one-time spend for the next current year? No, it would need to be approved through a deficit budget because we’d be spending 25-26 dollars in ’26-’27.”
Trustee Ernie Parsons:
“I’m going to have trouble explaining that to parents. You got a surplus, but my autistic child has no EA. That’s disturbing. Bureaucracy makes the issue very complex, but parents will have trouble—I would have trouble if I was a parent and my child lost their EA.”
Board CEO Katherine MacIver says surplus funds are only to be used as part of a Deficit Recovery Plan.
“When we’re dealing with $275 million, we’re getting within less than half of a per cent to accurate budgeting. This is actually a celebratory perspective on the board as far as being in a healthy budget position.”
Trustee Rachel Prinzen:
“We know that we need EAs, we know that this is a big issue. I am hearing some upsetting stories from parents, and I, too, would like to advocate for more EAs. If we can ask the ministry for that, I’m wondering if that’s an option.”
In the end, the committee voted in favour of recommending board of trustee approval, and that Chair Kari Kramp write the Minister of Education requesting permission to use surplus funds to hire more Educational Assistants.
It will come for a vote at the next meeting of the board.
