Education Minister George Abbott chose the start of spring break to announce that he has allocated slightly more than $4.7 billion of operating funding for B.C.’s public school system in 2012-13. That’s up about $4 million from last year.
Many school districts will receive fewer dollars than last year, however, because they have falling enrolments.
There are 556,045 students in B.C. schools in the current 2011-12 school year and this is expected to fall to 550,800 next year.
About $51.3 million of the government’s operational funding for schools will be held back until September when exact enrolment counts are known. It will then be distributed based on enrolment.
“We are protecting and maintaining overall education funding levels for K-12 schools next year as enrolment continues to decline,” said Abbott.
He also tweeted a YouTube video of himself on March 12 announcing some other new funding for education: $10.7 million to help school districts introduce elements of the new BC Education Plan.
An $11.2 million supplement for vulnerable students will also be in place for 2012-13, he said. That funding will go to districts where the number of vulnerable students has increased.
The funding announcements are unlikely to reduce the friction between the B.C. government and the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation. Last week, teachers went on strike for three days over the proposed back-to-work legislation, Bill 22, which would prevent B.C. teachers from being legally eligible to strike.
On March 12 the government passed a motion by a 43-32 vote for debate to end on Bill 22 by 4:45 p.m. March 15.
