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The Canadian Cha mpion, Friday, Juty 9, 2004--9 Balanced budget to provide more teachers We By JASON MISNER because of nising costs and Concemns about ________________ of the dilemma in crafting a school budget beieve... I hc aitD t Cmionh Brt heW h n I t "I believe we're right to is there's ver little roorn for discretionary Ï i"'()" c escrs,,maintenance, offc sup- plies and minor school program enhance- ments. But just how long the $329 million budg- et stays balanccd will be up to Ontario's Minlistry of Education, the board warned. The board passed 8-I1 the budget aI a tpe- cial meeting Monday night. It also passed a $44 million budget for special education, servîng about 8,200 students. But $3 mil- lion of that has yet to be released to the huard from the ministry, as bas beeti previ- ously committed. If that money doesn't corne down the pike, it will leave the board in a deficit sit- uation and the shortfall will have to corne from somewhere else in the budget. That has board Chair Mary Chapin per- plexed. The board included the increased funding in its budget because its holding the ministry to its word. "That money was qualified and approved by the provincial government," she said in an interview aliter the budget was passed. "We're taking the minîster at bis word that that money is there for approved applications. "I believe we're righî 10 budget lu use that money and if it doesn't corne thrîîugh then îî will he the minîstry thai's put us int deficit." Education Minister Gerard Kennedy angered some local sehool boards when he recently decided to hold back $102 million of special education fonds owed to huards across the province. The money was already approved by ministry officiais, but Mr. Kennedy decided tri hold il back becîî liproved,- Ms tihapin said. Board staff said the budget doesn't involve any major culs. "The budget plan presented is balanced for 2004-015 with a focus on maîntaining high quality programs and services throughout Halton's public sehuols," stated a budget report prepared by Caria Kisko, the boards superintendent of business services. The budget of $329 million for 2(X04-05 is an increase o)f 3.8 per cent from last year's $319 million. Il includes the hining of 74 teachers Io accommodate the 2 per cent increase in student enrolîmeni in cIe- mentary schools (ai around 900 students> and I per cent in secondary sehools (ai around 160). The funding formula was introduced by the former Conservative provincial gov- ernment in 1998. Il funds sehools on a per- pupil, equalized basis, regardless of geog- raphy or board uniqueness. In addition Io the teacher hires, the Halton budget also includes an increa.se of $600000 for day-to-day maintenance, like for plumbing and fixing door knobs; a une- lime grani of $629,0(t for projects Io address energy savings. primarily by replacîng oId windows and caulkîng around doors; $1,(00 for general office expenses. like photocopying, tor the board's 71 elemeniary sehools; money to replace pianos in the elementary schîiols; and $425,000) îo create five portables for elementary schools. pari of the Liberal provincial govemment's commiiment to reduce class sizes for JK to grade 3 îo 20 MILTON I and if it doesn't corne through then it wili be the minisfry that's put us into deficit." students. Education Director Dusîy Papke said it's a tighî budget. with eveiy penny aliocated to where it needs to go. "There's nu excess in the budget," he said in a later interview. "We'll stretch every dollar the best we can." Despite some of the enhancements, part THE FOLLOWING LANES WILL BE CLOSED " Eastbound curb lane of Main Street between the Leisure Centre and James Snow Parkway " Westbound passing lane of Main Street between the Leisure Centre and James Snow Parkway THE FOLLOWING ROAD WILL BE CLOSED *Main Street from James Snow Parkway to Fifth Line. dated ministry programs as well as costs for salaries and benefits of teachers and non-teachers, lie custodial staff, the board is with left with only about 5 per cent of flexible spending, Ms Kisko said in an interview after the meeting. "A budget is simply reflecting what we're getting in tenns of our (ministry) allocation," she said. "The grants are what really set the tone in our budget process, they determine our bottom line. Their (ministry) base funding to sehool boards bas to bc refreshed and they haven't dune that, su w're still challenged by that." About 80 per cent of the sehool budget is absorbed by costs of teachers and non- NOTICE OF teachEr ne.U e A mCJUY 7,00 am NON helping. Anyone. Anywhere. PEsE 2nd Milton Kids of Steel Youth Triathlon SATURDAY JULY 17, 2004 6am - NOON Anyone interested in further information, please check www.miltonkos.com or eall Gary Black at 905-693-0118 WEEKEND SPECIALS SATURDAY & SUNDAY (Casf&CarrOnly!) 24X24 $549 NATURAL ' PATIO STONE COUNTRY WALL$i 68 8X9X4"5 3 COLOURSI each PRESSURE TREATED 1 30KG BAG $2 CONCRETE MIX 3Iac 700 Main Street East, Milton Stors Naurs O905-878-8171 Es' c ..-Frday ..73m-8 IILTON LOCATION GNLY. Califomia NI Ç Mississauga North SPA&-S~Showroom rrNeSS 35 Superior Blvd. Derry Rd./Highway#1 The look good, feed good stores (W05) 565-6M4 Mississauga South Showroom 2528 Bristol Circle Wînsttin Churchill/Dundas (behînd Home Depoti 1 ONT RIO'SOLDE T & L RGES HOT UB9& W)M8 PA9-4991