Tough decisions ahead for N.B. school division

The Living Sky School Division agreed there was little to celebrate in this year’s provincial budget, but managed to pass their own budget after much debate during a school board meeting Wednesday.

Hotly contested was a $3.2 million dip into the board’s financial reserves. While some members argued against utilizing a rainy-day fund, the prevailing argument was the reserve would be used one way or another.

“We’ve made people know in our schools, particularly our administrators, that there’s a lot less money coming our way and actually at the end of the day, I forget what it was last year, but it was a significant reduction last year and we got through it,” director of education Randy Fox said.

He said nobody likes to see job loss, but there are ways the board can move forward without causing too much pain. Fox said typically positions dealing directly with students are saved. While, last year, the board eliminated seven positions, the formula used ensured the cuts didn’t affect schools disproportionately.