The Vancouver School Board voted this week to cut 10 classroom days from the 2010-2011 school year to help balance its troubled budget, but a trustee from another district say the cost-cutting benefits are uncertain.

The VSB estimates it will save about $1.3-million under the plan, which will also end early Friday dismissals and add 16 minutes of instruction per day for elementary students and 18 minutes per day for secondary students.

Apart from adding five days to Vancouver's existing March spring break, the board added another five vacation days throughout the year on the following days:

  • October 8
  • November 12
  • February 11
  • February 14
  • May 20

The Surrey School Board, which is facing a massive budget shortfall of its own, had its first two-week spring break this year, and found most parents in favour. North Vancouver and Coquitlam are considering whether to follow suit.

But Abbotsford school trustee Korky Neufeld warns it may not be the budget-booster boards are looking for.

"They will find out over the years that it's going to be difficult to track," he said. "The savings they were hoping to have may not be there at the end of the day."

Abbotsford had a two-week spring break for the eight years, but recently voted to cut back to one in the interest of the students.

Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid criticized the VSB's decision to cut classroom days, arguing they should be cutting administrative costs instead.

"This board is spending $3.6-million more a year currently on administration than Surrey, who have 12,000 more students," she said. "We're really very hopeful that they will be working toward looking at administrative changes rather than things that change in the classroom."

VSB chair Patti Bacchus shot back, saying MacDiarmid is "out of touch" with the reality that school districts across B.C. are facing.

The changes were only approved for one year. The VSB will vote on more controversial cuts on Thursday, including teacher layoffs, reductions in special education support and cuts to the band program.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Renu Bakshi