Tara Sprickerhoff
Tribune Staff Writer
The closure of four schools and reconfiguration of Williams Lake and area schools will result in an estimated savings of $1,242,510 for School District 27.
The district’s 2013/14 budget was finalized by trustees at their regular meeting in Williams Lake Tuesday evening.
The budget is balanced this year at $60,730,052, reported secretary treasurer Bonnie Roller.
She said the district had to make up $2.6 million in order to balance the budget from structural deficits and a funding reduction imposed by the provincial government.
The rest of the savings come from a decrease in salaries due to enrolment decline, an overall decrease in employee benefits and general budget refinement.
Roller said the district also had to use a one-time surplus payment of $300,000 from their benefit carrier. This was to ensure the district did not have to rely on prior years surplus funding.
“We need it now,” Roller said.
This will be Roller’s last budget with SD 27 before moving to Penticton where she will become secretary treasurer for SD 67 (Okanagan Skaha).
Roller has worked with SD27 for 32 years, the last six as secretary-treasurer.