New Westminster parents signal non-confidence in debt-ridden school board

Parents at New Westminster secondary have passed a motion of non-confidence in the board of education following its third deficit ?in 11 years.

Although the board has hired a consultant to review the books, it?s done that before and parents aren?t optimistic, said Mary Ann Mckenzie, chair of the school?s parent advisory council (PAC). They are appealing for help from the B.C. Education Ministry and the provincial Auditor General.

?We need the big guns to come in now,? Mckenzie?said in an interview. ?This is serious.?

UPDATE: It seems, however,?the big guns aren?t coming. Education Minister Don McRae issued a statement Friday expressing confidence that the board, aided by the consultant, will find a solution. ?The ministry is working with School District 40 on options. The collective goal is to eliminate the deficit while minimizing any impact on students and programs,? he said.

School district managers stated publicly in June that they were ending 2011-12 with a small surplus but two months later, secretary-treasurer Brian Sommerfeldt found that the surplus had evaporated and left a $2.8-million deficit (which included about $500,000 still owing government from the 2008 deficit).

Three deficits in 11 years indicate something is broken, Mckenzie?said. The motion won?unanimous support during a PAC meeting Thursday, and although the number of attendees was small, Mckenzie said?knows the sentiment in the motion is shared widely?by parents.

The District Parent Advisory Council is expected to discuss the motion at a meeting Monday.

The preamble to the non-confidence motion says many of the trustees and senior administrators have been in positions of responsibility for more than one of the three deficits yet weren?t able to anticipate this latest one.

?Be it resolved that the New Westminster secondary school parent advisory council is compelled to express its complete lack of confidence in the ability of the current board of education and senior administration . . . to competently manage the financial affairs of the district.?

Joan Axford, a former secretary-treasurer in Saanich, is the district?s consultant.

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Source: http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/11/16/new-westminster-parents-signal-non-confidence-in-debt-ridden-school-board/

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