Scanned, recopied or Internet copy, if there are errors, please e-mail me with corrections: Opening comments: Maybe more at the end. Back to the Lyndwood School Cover-up. Comments by others to this web-page - 0 - to this web-page at time of posting. Mississauga News - Feb. 23, 2011 - By Roger Belgrave Board taps financial reserves Peel’s public school board will use cash from its financial reserves to meet demand for full-day kindergarten. Peel District School Board trustees agreed to dip into the board’s $23.4 million Working Fund Reserve to pay for excess enrolment in the new Early Learning Program (ELP). Peel board said is has already spent about $1.3 million more than it received from the government to accommodate all the registered children. The reserves would be used to cover extra space and staff costs. Implemented across Ontario this past September, the Liberal government’s goal is to have the program in all schools by 2015/2016. Queen’s Park is providing enough money each year to accommodate a limited number of students at each Ontario school board. Unlike the neighbouring Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and others across Ontario, Peel board did not limit first-year enrolment to match funding. Demand has already exceeded the 2,730 students and 105 classes originally projected. According to a report presented to trustees Tuesday, at the end of October enrolment was at 3,005 — about 275 more students than funded. Enrolment levels forced the board to add 10 more classes at the initial 20 schools. To balance the books, administrators will roll out the program in fewer schools than planned next year, with implementation at five schools being deferred to the 2012/2013 school year. Only Brampton Trustee Steve Kavanagh opposed using the reserves, saying kindergarten students shouldn't be the only ones to benefit from the extra cash, when there are so many other needs throughout the system. He was especially upset the board was depleting reserves to fill program gaps created by government failure to sufficiently fund a program it has mandated boards provide. Board Chair Janet McDougald emphasized this decision should not be misinterpreted by the government or the public. The program is still inadequately funded for local needs, she insisted, and reserve funds are being used as a one-time revenue source. Comments by others - 0 - to this web-page at time of posting; Home Page - Main Table of Contents - Back up a page - Back to Top [COMMENTS BY DON B. - ] |
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