eca_review_2018_02_15
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E C A r e v i e w H A N N A / C o r o N A t i o n / S t e t t l e r , A b F e b r u a r y 1 5 ' 1 8 9<br />
Clearview Trustees outline challenges to MLA<br />
Linda Stillinger<br />
Review Reporter<br />
Drumheller-Stettler MLA Rick<br />
Strankman met with Clearview<br />
Trustees during the Feb. 8 regular<br />
board meeting.<br />
Discussing how the United<br />
Conservative Party can best support<br />
education in Alberta, the board advocated<br />
stable, sustainable funding,<br />
focussing on the importance of protecting<br />
rural education funding to<br />
ensure equity of opportunity for all students<br />
in our communities.<br />
Vital funding includes “Small School<br />
by Necessity” for both education and<br />
maintenance, transportation, and<br />
“Equity of Opportunity” funding.<br />
According to the board report, the<br />
basic per student grant, which provides<br />
about half of the division’s funding, has<br />
had only one increase in the last five<br />
years, while the Small School by<br />
Necessity grant has had one increase in<br />
the last eight years.<br />
Likewise, transportation and maintenance<br />
funding have seen only one<br />
increase in the past eight years.<br />
In fact, changes to the funding<br />
framework have resulted in a decline<br />
in both transportation and maintenance<br />
funding.<br />
In transportation, removal of the fuel<br />
price contingency grants reduced<br />
funding by $300,000 or approximately<br />
10 per cent of transportation grants.<br />
In maintenance, removal of the special<br />
education factor resulted in a<br />
funding reduction of $250,000 or<br />
approximately 10 per cent of maintenance<br />
grants.<br />
The board went on to point out how<br />
funding cutbacks can lead to service<br />
level reductions, increased fees to<br />
parents, and decreased employment in<br />
rural communities.<br />
According to Board Chair Ken<br />
Checkel, up till now, Clearview has<br />
been very successful rolling with the<br />
punches.<br />
By drawing down on reserves in a<br />
planned manner the division has been<br />
able to meet operational needs, but with<br />
total operating reserves projected to<br />
decrease by 62 per cent from $4,928,941<br />
at August 2010 to $1,864,191 at August<br />
<strong>2018</strong>, the ability to continue operations<br />
under the current model may be<br />
strained due to lack of resources.<br />
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