VSB BUDGET PUBLIC MEETINGS – APR 12, 13 & 14 – Share & ACT Now!

FACE (Families Against Cuts to Education) has provided a very simple email tool here. Use and share!

Times and locations for Public Input

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL VANCOUVER PARENTS
April 11: VSB just added a third evening of public consultations. Wednesday, April 13 7-11pm at the VSB Board Office, 1580 W. Broadway
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April 10: updated to included revised budget proposals and public consultation information.

Please read and share widely & quickly through your networks so we reach as many parents as possible.

Parents need to stand up and demonstrate wide public concern about the VSB budget to help pressure the Government.

We strongly encourage all PACs to register (via email to budget2016-2017@vsb.bc.ca) and send at least 1 person to present at a VSB Public Budget Consultation. Please send as many parents as possible to attend.

Currently the sessions on April 12 and April 14 are full but VSB is extending the time to 10:30pm and may be adding a third session on April 13 (VSB will announce via social media on Monday). The need for more sessions means .... the parents are speaking out!

Background
The Vancouver School Board was facing a budget shortfall of $27.26 million dollars. The April 4 funding announcement by the Ministry of Education and the fact that no students are registered to attend Henderson Annex this fall have reduced this by $3.2 million to just over $24 million –  this is still the worst projected shortfall since 2002.

The School Act prohibits a School Board from presenting an unbalanced budget so many cuts have been proposed.

The Proposed Budget
The proposed cuts — HUGE, highly detrimental and long-lasting to services for our children, which we may never get back — will have SIGNIFICANT impact to ALL children across this district.

They will affect every family and the effects of the cuts will be felt for years to come.

The CUTS include:

• The entire optional elementary band and strings program. This affects 44 elementary schools.
• 5 FTE (full-time equivalent) elementary staff in ELL, special education, aboriginal and library (was to be 11.36 FTE). This means some ELL, special education and aboriginal students may get a lower level of support than they do currently. It also may mean some schools will not have specialized school librarians next year.
• The loss of 5 FTE Special Education Support Workers (SSAs) (was to be 12 FTE) across the district.
• The elimination of the special education staffing at Templeton and Kitsilano Secondary Schools reducing their ability to provide adapted programs for those who need more intensive support.
• A third of the Enhanced Services Literacy Teachers who provide additional intensive interventions to small groups of students at "inner city" schools (was to be all 12 FTE ).
• 22 FTE secondary teachers by removing the class size limit of 30 students in secondary school classes (was to be 33 FTE).
• ALL teacher mentor positions for anti-racism/anti-homophobia, gifted, teacher-librarian, learning technology, literacy/early intervention consultants, peer to peer and support staff.
• Reduction in support for Braille , modern languages and early intervention.
• Vision and Hearing teacher positions reduced.
• ALL 10 Career Information Assistants gone from secondary schools to be replaced with a single district person. 
• Reduction of administrative support for mini schools impacting programming and class sizes.
• Elimination of the Gifted Program's mentorship and seminar programs as well as the part-time gifted educational psychologist position. The Challenge program had also been selected but was removed in the revised proposal.
• Home instruction teachers that serve home bound students reduced by a third.
• Home Learners Program teaching staff reduced to a single FTE.
• 2 FTE multicultural liaison workers for South Asian, Korean and Vietnamese cultural groups eliminated.

In the original proposed budget but saved in the revised proposal:

• Athletic Coordinator facilitating inter-school sports events across district.
• Fine Arts Coordinator for facilitating visual and performing arts programs.
• SACY Youth Engagement Worker for at risk students in secondary schools.

Our Ask
The public have been invited to give feedback to the VSB regarding this proposed budget on April 12 at 7pm at Van Tech Secondary School and April 14th at 5pm at the VSB Offices on West Broadway.  

We ask parents and strongly urge each and every school/PAC to send at LEAST one representative to express concerns and indicate how these budget cuts will directly affect children in their school.

If you are unsure how your school or your child(ren) will be affected, ask your administrator who will easily be able to tell you.

PLEASE REGISTER ASAP - via email at budget2016-2017@vsb.bc.ca. The April 12 and 14 public sessions are currently full but they have extended the time and will add another session on April 13 if needed. 

Your "speech" need only be one or two minutes. What is most important is showing wide public concern about the contents of this budget to put pressure on the Government.

PLEASE EVERYONE ACT NOW AND PLAN TO ATTEND ON APRIL 12 @ 7:00pm, AND/OR APRIL 14 @ 5:00pm​

More Information
VSB 2016/17 budget process and timeline
Updated preliminary budget proposals 

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