The balanced budget balancing act has begun at the Bluewater District School Board.
Trustees have been presented with a list of possible areas spending could be reduced in order to come up with the approximately four million dollars needed to balance the books by June 16th.
Popular options on the list include reducing the kilometre rate paid for staff and trustee travel and curbing the amount of professional development for the year ahead.
Other options include reducing printing costs, special education, and portables.
Vice Chair Jan Johnstone supports the idea of cutting professional development and thinks staff should have a year to practice what they’ve been learning.
Director of Education Mary Anne Alton says the savings have to be found somewhere because the board is required to present a balanced budget.
She says they’re still looking at staffing levels for the year ahead and there is potential for savings there, but she’s still not sure.
Yenssen says the list is based on where cuts have been made in the past and trustees will go through it and decide where cuts should be made.
The most unpopular suggested cuts on the list were for the Outdoor Education Centre and Technology Centres.
Trustee Cindy Aitken is concerned there isn’t enough time to properly consult with School Community Councils on the budget before the June 16 meeting.
Aitken also suggests every board staff member and trustee donate a dollar to the Bluewater Foundation for Education in order to help with the budget, calling it similar to the financial sacrifices currently being made by auto workers.
Yenssen says school councils had the opportunity to attend a recent public meeting on the budget.
Johnstone, who represents the Kincardine area, says she has met with the various SCC’s there and has heard their budget suggestions.
She says they’ve told her they don’t want to see any more cuts to staff or special education.