For the second consecutive year, the English public school board in our region has managed to balance its budget.
DSB-One chair Bob Brush notes that the education ministry allows boards to post a one-percent deficit, but his board hasn’t needed that loophole.
“It was very tight” Brush admits,”but I give full credit to the director and her senior administrative team for the work in getting the balanced budget and making the revenues and expenses come out. I think we were within probably close to $100 only, but we managed to do it, so that was great.”
A bit more perspective here: That’s within $100 in a budget of $126-million.
Things are looking good for in to the next school year,which begins on Wednesday, September 4th. Brush expects the overall student number of about 6,500 between Hearst and Temagami to stay about the same.
“Our enrolment has stabilizied,” the chair reports, “although we’re hoping there will be improvement over the summer. People moving in an wanting the public education system, I’m hoping the enrolment will go up even more. But at least we didn’t decline, so that was good.”
SUMMER LEARNING EXPERIENCES
In partnership with the Northeastern District Catholic School Board, DSBOne is offering an oral language camp for students going into kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 who are struggling with language development. It will be offered in Cochrane, Timmins, Kapuskasing, Kirkland Lake and New Liskeard.
They’re also running a math camp in Timmins and New Liskeard for Grades 3 through 6; and a high school co-op program in Iroquois Falls, Cochrane, Kirkland Lake and New Liskeard.
Information on all of the programs is available from either board office.