Wolf Creek Public Schools will cut almost 60 positions next school year — most being support staff.
Earlier this week the board adopted its preliminary $80-million budget with a $292,228 deficit for the 2011-2012 school year.
The deficit is covered through reserves but the board was forced to cut 5.19 full-time equivalent teaching positions, and 36.82 full-time equivalent support staff, of which 22 are tied directly to special needs education.
Another measure included dropping five bus routes to help overcome a $419,000 deficit in transportation, which is a result of declining enrolment and fewer grants.
Even with the cuts, the division will head into the new school year with a $100,000 deficit in transportation. In order to mitigate the damage, the board used $600,000 of its reserves to lessen the impact on staffing.
Board chairwoman Trudy Bratland said initially the board thought the cuts would run much deeper.
She said the board decided to put the money behind the teachers, adjust the support staff and be creative in the way they support the students in the classroom.
But the reality suggests this is not an ideal situation for special needs students.
Wanda Christensen, assistant superintendent, student services, said the educational assistant plays a vital role as the teacher’s extra hands and ears in the classroom.
Because much of the special education programs are designed to be one-on-one, the education assistant often provides that attention particularly with those who may have motor, emotional or physical difficulties.
Now instead of working with three or four students in a classroom, next year, the assistants will have a larger load.
Christensen said without a doubt the level for services for these students will not be the same next year compared to this year.
Supt. Larry Jacobs pointed to inadequate education funding for the most of the board’s cuts.
This includes special education funding, transportation funding, and no new funding for escalating costs including fuel across the board. Not to mention, the provincial government has not increased funding to special education in about four years.
The division receives funding for about 300 students with severe special needs but provides educational programming support for about 500 students.
As Alberta Education is moving to a more inclusive education system, Jacobs is confident this means an increase in funding for special needs students. This may not happen in time for the next school year but Jacobs is confident this will happen for the next budget in the following spring. Then the division can look to hiring more educational assistants.
In the past several educational assistants have been laid off in the spring with plans to re-hire them again in the fall when the enrolment numbers are tallied. Christensen is optimistic this will be the case again but the number is much higher than any in recent memory. Next year there will be about 385 teachers and roughly the same number of support staff working in the division.
“These budgets are becoming harder and harder,” said Jacobs. “Everything in the jurisdiction is going up.”
Jacobs said if more money does not flow into the school jurisdictions these same patterns and measures will continue for school divisions across the province. The division covers schools in Lacombe, Blackfalds, Rimbey, Bentley and Ponoka.
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com