DPAC warns of wide, far-reaching cuts to Surrey Schools as district faces $16M shortfall

Parents are bracing for cuts at Surrey Schools next year, with some saying their children’s futures are being shortchanged.

School District 36 is facing a $16 million budget shortfall in the upcoming year. The district will be finalizing its budget next week, and there are many things on the chopping block. From elementary band programs to educational assistant positions and learning centres for children with extra needs.

Anne Whitmore, with the Surrey District Parent Advisory Council, says that after decades of chronic underfunding, these latest cuts will hurt even more. She says it’s always the students on the periphery who feel it worst.

“It’s like turning a boat in the ocean, all these small cuts change the trajectory of a child’s life. And so we are really concerned about how we are limiting our children’s future by not investing in education,” Whitmore told 1130 NewsRadio sister station OMNI News.

Whitmore says the impact of these cuts can change the trajectory of a child’s life. She adds that 40-to-50 education assistants for students with extra needs will be lost through a hiring freeze and attrition.

“It is completely unacceptable. Many of these EAs are supporting upwards of four to six children. So, think about how many students are being impacted by not replacing the person who’s there to support them in their learning. That is their right to have an accessible education,” Whitmore explained.

In response to the upcoming proposed cuts, the DPAC, Surrey Teachers Association, and CUPE have launched a campaign called “Surrey Students Deserve Better”, demanding that their kids’ education be protected and properly funded.

“It’s students who are on the margins of education who feel it first,” Whitmore explained.

A public rally is planned for Saturday, May 17.

With files from OMNI News.