“And that’s a $5-million question, so we think that’s extremely positive for our local context right now,” she said. It’s not clear whether there’s enough funding in the budget to avoid programming cuts entirely, Howe said. Due to the deficit, the Greater Victoria School Board has been discussing cuts to music programs, education assistants, meal programs and programs for gifted students. Students, parents and teachers have expressed concern at the potential cuts, with one class at Lansdowne Middle School holding a roadside concert last week to show its support for music programs. The annual K-12 budget in B.C. is rising to more than $7.1 billion, a hike of about $500 million from the 2019/2020 budget. However, with about $1.1 billion of that being absorbed by wage increases and enrolment, “it’s essentially status quo,” said Kevin Kaardal, president of the British Columbia School Superintendents Association.
School boards must come up with a balanced budget every year. Howe said teachers want to know “how have we ended up, all of a sudden, with this huge deficit, which is totally devastating.” School board chair Jordan Watters said while there are a number of things on the list of possible cuts, nothing has been decided. “We’ve got a ways to go in the process, that’s for sure, and really are just in the midst of consultation so hearing lots of voices.” The proposed music cuts, which attracted a student-led protest, target programs that can help students stay connected to school from the elementary to the secondary level. Cutting music doesn’t fit with the district’s strategic plan, Howe said.
Other recent exposures in Greater Victoria include Drinkwater Elementary, Colquitz Middle, Mount Douglas Secondary and Victoria High. COVID-19 exposures have also been reported in the past two weeks at Arbutus Middle in Saanich, Ballenas Secondary in Parksville, Belmont Secondary in Langford, Oaklands Elementary in Victoria, Nanaimo District Secondary, Kwalikum Secondary in Qualicum, and Oak Bay High. Dunsmuir and Cedar Hill middle schools were reported to have a cluster of cases two or more confirmed cases, plus evidence of transmission in late March. Island Health conducts contact tracing in schools, and students can continue to attend classes unless their families are directly notified.
“From September to March, our schools had three COVID exposures,” said GVTA president Winona Waldron. “In the four weeks school has been in session from March to this point, we have had 18 more exposures reported. “We are hearing from our members that they are not necessarily informed when a case is in their class, [when] they have a student who is a close contact of a COVID case, or when siblings are affected.” Most recently, COVID-19 exposures have been reported at Mount Douglas Secondary School and Victoria High School, where classes are being held at the former S.J. Willis Education Centre while the Fernwood school undergoes a seismic refit and expansion.
Greater Victoria teachers renew call for remote learning as COVID-19 exposures continue in schools vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.