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Wait continues for BԪַyesBԪַ or BԪַnoBԪַ on schools

Money for new West Shore high schools isnBԪַt in the BԪַstatus quoBԪַ provincial budget tabled Tuesday, but officials are pressing for funding to be approved this year.

Leading into budget debates, Maurine Karagianis, MLA for Esquimalt-Royal Roads and John Horgan, MLA for Juan de Fuca met with Ministry of Education staffers two weeks ago to re-state the case for the long-awaited $97 million project.

A cornerstone of the plan involves selling the current Belmont secondary property on Jacklin Road to chip in a significant portion of the capital costs. The Sooke School District wants to build a new Belmont at the old Glen Lake elementary site and in Royal Bay in Colwood.

Last year Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid told a legislative finance committee the Belmont replacement plan would be considered in the 2011-12 ministry budget.

BԪַMinistry staff says itBԪַs a great business case, they say it is a high priority,BԪַ Karagianis said. BԪַBut we probably wonBԪַt know what is coming on government spending until July.BԪַ

Horgan said pokerfaced Ministry of Education officials gave nothing away, other than noting the business plan is sound and innovative.

New high schools will allow the district to re-configure its grades, freeing space in elementary schools for full-day kindergarten and expected increases in elementary-aged kids.

BԪַThose (elementary) kids will need somewhere to move to,BԪַ Horgan said Wednesday. BԪַWe need new high schools soon, or we will be in crisis.BԪַ

Sooke School District officials were scheduled to meet with ministry of education officials on Thursday to press their case for funding.

Assistant superintendent Ron Warder said the school district has done all it can with the ministry BԪַ the decision to commit funding just needs to be made.

BԪַThe government just needs to come up with the money,BԪַ Warder said. BԪַIt could be this year, it could be next year. We wait with eager anticipation.BԪַ

With 19 new classrooms being built onto elementary schools and eight modular classrooms on route, the district has now has some wiggle room for student space, although not for long.

BԪַWeBԪַve got a bit of time we didnBԪַt have before,BԪַ Warder said. BԪַBut our long-term enrolment projections are staggering. We are already 200 students ahead of what was predicted for this year.BԪַ

Budget reaction

A provincial budget with new capital projects is expected some weeks or months after a new B.C. Liberal leaders is selected on Feb. 26.

Horgan suspects the new premier might delay tabling a budget until the NDP selects its new leader on April 17.

BԪַThe government needs to demonstrate itBԪַs not drifting for a full year,BԪַ Horgan said. BԪַWe need a centre of government. If we delay (a budget) into April or May, that would be appalling and evident the Liberals have lost their way and are not helping anybody.

BԪַWeBԪַve got a budget about nothing other than $900 million in funding for the new leader.BԪַ

Karagianis called the current budget BԪַlacklusterBԪַ and says it will leave West Shore social program providers scrambling for cash.

BԪַA lot of family programs will be reduced or will disappear,BԪַ Karagianis said. BԪַItBԪַs a great disappointment to see programs at risk.BԪַ

Finance Minister Colin Hansen presented a budget he called BԪַstatus quoBԪַ and that he described as leaving a recovering B.C. economy for the next premier.

It will fall to him or her to decide if carbon taxes will continue to rise and small business taxes will be eliminated next year as planned. But the most significant decision of 2011 will be made by voters directly BԪַ to keep the harmonized sales tax or go back to the old provincial sales tax.

In his budget speech to the legislature Tuesday, Hansen warned of BԪַmajor implicationsBԪַ that go beyond the return of $1.6 billion in transition funds to the federal government.

BԪַThe fact is, no province has ever backed out of the HST after implementation,BԪַ Hansen said. BԪַBeing first would put us into uncharted waters.BԪַ

Horgan said the Liberals have no contingency plan in place should people vote to repeal on the HST.

BԪַI think (the Liberals) will use that as a scare tactic in the campaign leading to the referendum,BԪַ Horgan said. BԪַI think it will be a BԪַnoBԪַ vote (on keeping the HST). IBԪַm confident people will say no.BԪַ

BԪַwith files from Tom Fletcher

editor@goldstreamgazette.com





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