Two years ago, School District 43 faced a deficit of $10.2 million a debt the district is still paying off.
Last year, the board of education made $13.8 million in cuts so the district could balance its budget and about 100 teachers and support worker positions were lost, SD43 figures show, although some separate Learning Improvement funds boosted staffing by 15 teachers and 27 for support staff and education assistants.
Still, there were cuts, which schools are still dealing with.
Now, the district is promising a status quo budget with no new cuts for 2015/'16 but what does that mean for local students and their families, teachers and support workers in SD43?
Here's your chance to find out. On Thursday, April 16 between 4 and 5 p.m., longtime Tri-City News education reporter Diane Strandberg will moderate a Twitter chat with members of the board, including chair Judy Shirra, who will answer your questions about the budget.
Got a question or a concern? Tweet to @sd43bc using the hashtag #sd43budget.
To get yourself up to speed, you can see the latest budget documents here or read the Tri-City News' coverage here.
The Twitter chat is part of the district's public consultation process leading to a vote on the budget next Tuesday.
