Vulnerable students, small school districts, and remote and rural schools will benefit from increased funding consistency and support as a result of changes to the allocation of school district operating grants.

"These changes are the product of collaboration between education partners from all over B.C. - representing both urban and rural areas - all working together in the shared interest of crafting a more equitable, stable, sustainable education funding model," said Education Minister George Abbott.

In August, the Ministry of Education undertook a review of the school district funding formula and asked for input from B.C.'s boards of education. A representative committee under the B.C. School Trustees' Association (BCSTA) identified several school district concerns and submitted recommendations for funding formula changes under the principles of equity, predictability, stability, flexibility and transparency.

Total operating funding to school districts in 2011-12 is a record $4.721 billion, increasing to $4.724 billion in 2012-13. In line with the committee's recommendations, the ministry has introduced changes to the way these funds will be allocated, beginning in 2012-13.

Additional funding will go towards districts where the number of vulnerable students has increased, supplementing the CommunityLINK grant by $5 million in 2012-13 and $11 million in 2013-14. CommunityLINK (Learning Includes Nutrition and Knowledge) funds support meal and snack programs, child and youth workers, community schools, literacy and the healthy schools initiative for vulnerable students.

Enhancements to existing supplements will result in more targeted funds for small districts and communities. This will mean an estimated additional $1.5 million to help cover the costs of operating small, rural or remote schools and $3.7 million for the smallest school districts in the province.

The transportation supplement will be revised using school-age density and enrolment data to provide equitable funding to districts based on special transportation needs and the location of students in relation to their schools

The committee's report also identified concerns with the continued allocation of funding protection. In the interests of providing long-term sustainable and predictable funding, those districts experiencing enrolment decline will now be protected to at least 98.5 per cent of the previous autumn's funding level.

Since 2000-01, the Province has increased funding to B.C. public schools by nearly $1.4 billion: $977 million in operating funds and $407 million in one-time grants. During that time, September enrolment has declined by nearly 59,000 students.

The two-phased implementation of full-day kindergarten in 2010-11 and 2011-12 marked the first overall provincewide increases in K-12 student enrolment since 1997-98. Ministry projections show that the trend of grades 1-12 enrolment decline will slow over the next few years and will begin increasing by 2014.

Learn More:

For more information on B.C's K-12 funding allocation system, visit: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/k12funding/

For more information on CommunityLINK, visit:

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/communitylink/

A backgrounder follows.

Media contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Education
250 356-5963

BACKGROUNDER

Dec. 9, 2011 Ministry of Education

Funding formula changes

Vulnerable student supplement:

• Provides additional funding to districts based on an updated CommunityLINK funding formula.
• Recognizes districts that have experienced growth in the number of vulnerable students.
• Protects CommunityLINK funding in all districts.
• $5 million additional allocation in 2012-13, increasing to $11 million in 2013-14.

Student location factor supplement:

• Recognizes special transportation needs and the location of students in relation to their schools.
• Recalculated each year based on district enrolment.
• Fair and equitable for all districts.

Small community supplement:

• Enhanced to provide more funding - an estimated $1.5 million - to districts to help cover the costs of operating small, rural and remote elementary schools.

Low enrolment factor supplement:

• Enhanced to provide more funding - an estimated $3.7 million - for the smallest districts in the province.

Funding Protection:

• Sustainable and predictable funding protection policy.
• Districts protected to at least 98.5 per cent of previous autumn's funding, despite any decline in student enrolment.

Media contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Education
250 356-5963