Abbotsford school district may need to pull heavily from surplus to handle shortfall

The Abbotsford school district may need to pull as much as $5 million from its surplus to handle the budget shortfall that’s been inflated by the provincial government’s demand that boards made administration cuts.

Apart from the usual salary and cost pressures, the board had planned to spend around $1.5 million for new programs, and the province’s demand will cost the district another million.

The board will make a decision when it approves the budget.

Communications manager Dave Stephen says while having shortfalls of that magnitude isn’t comfortable for the district, it will get through ok.

“We’re not the only board that’s having to deal with cutbacks. But our board and district has been pretty conservative in terms of its funding models over the previous years and that has saved us from having to make some extreme cuts.”

Currently the district surplus is $14.6 million.

Stephen says the board may look at ways to increase revenues, such as boosting fees for international students or facility rentals.