'We're a second thought': Surrey parents exhausted as more school programs, services being cut
A budget crunch at the Surrey school district is going to mean service cuts in the 2024-25 school year.
Without additional funding in their operating grants to offset costs, the district said programs or services not funded by the province will be scrapped.
Buses for students in the intensive literacy program will also end, as will two out of 25 StrongStart programs. StrongStart is a free early education program for children five and under, especially supporting low-income families or those new to Canada.
"Lots of things that we hold dear, we are having to make those kinds of cuts that we’ve never had to do in the past," explained board trustee Terry Allen.
Allen said the upcoming budget is the most difficult one the district has had to pass in over a decade, with inflation, staffing shortages and Surrey's rising population all playing a role.
“Everybody understands inflation, I don’t understand why the ministry does not,” said Allen.
Anne Whitmore is the Surrey District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) president. She and other parents are exhausted fighting for what, at times, feels like a lost cause.
“It’s not OK that unpaid parents, volunteers, and advocates are continually trying to go to meetings and understand the implications of a very large organization," Whitmore said.
Non-enrolling staff, including career facilitators and transition teachers, will be moving to the classroom and the district is putting a hiring freeze on office positions.
"It's just poaching – you take a little bit here and put it there, but it doesn’t actually fix anything. Inclusive education must be funded and that is not happening," said Jatinder Bir, the president of the Surrey Teachers Association.
Bir says she feels as though education and the dire situation in Surrey is not being taken seriously.
“We’re a second thought. The reality is if we want to have quality education, then we have to invest that money. In Surrey, we have been flagging it over and over again. This is where the growth is.”
With no new schools approved for Clayton and Cloverdale, portables are needed, but the district doesn’t have money in the operating budget to pay for them.
"We don’t have the space – 2,500 new students every year just puts more and more strain on the district," said Allen.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More Canadians are moving to the U.S. Here's why
Recent data from the U.S. census revealed that more than 126,000 people moved from Canada to the U.S. in 2022. An expert said that one of the main reasons for this move is the cost of living.
As Hunter Biden's gun case starts jury selection, U.S. president says he has 'boundless love' for him
A federal gun case against U.S. President Joe Biden's son Hunter opened Monday with jury selection, following the collapse of a plea deal that would have avoided the spectacle of a trial so close the 2024 election. First lady Jill Biden was seated in the front row of the courtroom, in a show of support for her son.
Her gut was producing alcohol. Doctors didn't believe her
For two years doctors told her she was an alcoholic. Then they realized her gut was making alcohol from carbohydrates, a rare condition called auto-brewery syndrome.
Toyota apologizes for cheating on vehicle testing and halts production of three models
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda apologized Monday for massive cheating on certification tests for seven vehicle models as the automaker suspended production of three of them.
Crews searching for 3 missing mountaineers near Squamish, B.C.
A search effort has been launched for a trio of mountain climbers who were reported overdue after not returning from their excursion near Squamish, B.C.
Katy Perry 'fixed' Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech
Katy Perry has reimagined a recent commencement speech by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker that was criticized as homophobic and sexist.
This Canadian scientist combines passion for history, archeology and genetics to solve ancient and modern-day DNA puzzles
Turi King takes pride in her work solving ancient and modern-day DNA puzzles – including a centuries-old mystery involving an infamous British king.
She is set to be Mexico's first female president. But who is Claudia Sheinbaum?
Known as “la Doctora” for her glittering academic credentials, Claudia Sheinbaum is a physicist with a doctorate in energy engineering and a former major-city mayor.
Bathroom break nearly derails $22-million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.