As well, school boards won't be forced to pinch money from disadvantaged students to pay their teachers. That's because after eight years of complaints from parents and board officials, the province has changed the way it funds the school system. "It won't fix all of the shortfalls but because it is so transparent all of us can see where the money is going," Education Minister Sandra Pupatello said of the new funding system. Earlier yesterday, she announced that the $17.5 billion school boards get for 2006-07 - including $600 million more than the current school year - will be parcelled out differently than it has been since the previous Conservative government announced its so called "per-pupil" funding in 1998. Now, "non-classroom expenses" like principals and school supplies that were virtually invisible in the old system will officially exist once more. Although Pupatello's announcement doesn't come "with a ton more money," it recognizes that you can't base all services and staff on a school's enrolment because it punishes small schools and rural communities, said Annie Kidder, executive director of People for Education. The provincial parent group has lobbied the government for years to guarantee every school certain basic staff and services. Although the new system doesn't guarantee every school a gym teacher, a librarian or a music program and it doesn't help boards meet rising utility costs, it does help, she said. The new system recognizes that you can't base all services and staff on a school's enrolment, a parent's group says
Yesterday's announcement also closes the gap between what boards are funded to pay for their teacher salaries and the actual cost - a difference that had crept up to 8.3 per cent or a $535-million shortfall. All but $35 million of that will come from the elimination of local priorities grants and a reduction in the learning opportunities grant that is supposed to support socio-economically disadvantaged students. In reality, boards were already spending a lot of that money to cover salaries. But boards will have to wait at least another year to get an update to their transportation and special education budgets, which are of serious concern in areas like Peel and Durham. Some school officials warned yesterday that there are tough choices ahead as trustees enter the grittiest part of their budgeting process, which is supposed to be complete by August. At the Toronto District School Board, where trustees face between a $30- and $70-million shortfall on the $2.3-billion operating budget for 2006-07, it's not clear if they'll have to close school pools, reduce outdoor education programs or lay off education assistants. "The minister finds it compelling that we have lost 10,000 kids but our administrative costs haven't gone down, they've gone up. It's hard to get people to understand we have about 7,500 classrooms. If we lost one child per class we would have an enrolment decline but it wouldn't affect what it costs to run schools," said board chair Sheila Ward. But it's unlikely there would be any school closings by September, even though the board has about 60 under-enrolled schools, because there would have to be a meaningful public consultation and there isn't time, she said.