How did “increased funding” lead to shuttered schools and program cuts in the province?
A new study takes aim at the government’s claim that education funding has dramatically increased in recent years. The Centre for Civic Governance at Columbia Institute collected information from 45 of B.C.’s 59 school districts. According to “When More is Less,” schools have been scrambling to make ends meet since 2002, when the Liberals stopped earmarking funding based on varying need, and instead allotting a set per pupil amount. But due to declining enrolment, the B.C. think tank concluded that the new formula meant less money. At the same time, fixed costs rose. And because boards are prohibited from running a deficit, cuts to programming and services ensued. According to the study, the true shortfall is at least $132 million.