Tuesday night's board of education meeting in Coquitlam was a sombre one as Superintendent Tom Grant itemized $5 million worth of cuts to supply and other budgets for schools to curb a deficit that has swelled to $7.5 million.
Grant plans to meet with Education Ministry officials next week to talk about potential solutions. One possibility is to seek permission to run a deficit and pay it off gradually.
Reasons for the shortfall including a surprise drop in enrollment of about 223 students and School District 43 board chair Melissa Hyndes said the responsibility for the budget lies on the board.
Coquitlam Teachers Association president Teresa Grandinetti and CUPE Local president Dave Ginter took the board to task for an overly optimistic budget passed last spring.
More to come...
