The Cariboo Chilcotin School District 27 (SD 27) is anticipating a tighter budget in the coming years as student enrolment is declining.
That’s according to the district’s updated 2025-2027 financial plan approved by the SD 27 board of education at its Nov. 25 regular public meeting in Williams Lake.
“It’s important to be transparent with finances,” SD 27 secretary-treasurer Brenda Hooker said in an interview with simplymastery.
In her presentation to the board, Hooker said the plan stems from 2021 provincial legislation intended to better financial accountability. Districts are now expected to publish a three-year financial plan annually and must ensure their goals are aligned with the resources available to them.
Hooker said the plan includes a “status quo budget,” developed according to current and projected student enrolment levels. From the 2022-2023 academic year until now student enrolment has declined by 185 students, and it is projected to continue along this downward trend. The district currently serves 4,573 students across 24 schools.
Student enrolment is a crucial consideration in the district’s budget because its main source of funding, which comes from the Ministry of Education & Child Care, is based on the number of students in the district. With the student population in apparent decline, Hooker said the district not only anticipates an impact on funding, but also a gradual decline in staffing. However, she said the number of staff per student will remain the same.
The budget accounts for a forecast two per cent increase in per-student funding to reflect inflation, but otherwise Hooker said it is unlikely the district will see any additional funding or grants from the province. There are only so many public funds, she said, and larger school districts as well as issues such as the opioid and housing crises are big demands on what’s available to spend.
“The province cautioned us not to expect an increase in our revenues,” she said at the board meeting.
Hooker told simplymastery this shouldn’t have an impact on current programs other than possible proportionate downsizing, but it does mean adjustments will need to be made if the district wants to develop new programs.
“It’s critical to align school-based plans with district and ministry,” she said. The detailed budget allows for the district to see its financial situation at a broader level, equipping the board of education to make informed decisions based on the funds available.
“This is our goal post,” Hooker said. “We have to be intentional about our spending, so it aligns with our goals.”
The budget forecasts a total operating revenue of $65.4 million with $64.7 million in operating expenses. With a minimum of $720,000 set aside for interfund transfers, the district is left with a surplus of $33,000 for this school year which Hooker said is "not a significant amount of cushion.”
With this reality, Hooker said if the district wants to introduce new programs it will have to consider what can be adjusted elsewhere to make that happen. One example, she said, was to find ways in which the district could maximize its capital funding by simplifying designs or using pre-built portable classrooms when looking at new constructions.
“Student success...is at the centre of all we do,” Hooker said. The updated budget was presented at the same meeting as the district’s new plan for learner success, which Hooker said was made to align with resources so district goals could be achieved.
