Despite declining enrolment, the B.C. government is maintaining total K-12 funding for school operating grants at $4.725 billion for 2014-15.

Districts are forecasting their 2014-15 enrolment at 540,013 students, which is a decrease of 4,092 compared to last year. Forty-six of B.C.’s 60 school districts expect to serve fewer students in 2014-15 than in 2013-14.

A total of $61.1 million is set aside in holdback funding in the event actual student enrolment is higher than currently projected by school districts.

Average per pupil funding for 2014-15 is estimated to be $8,626, which includes the basic allocation for every full-time equivalent student. This year, the basic allocation is maintained at $6,900, unchanged from last year.

Again this year, $10.5 million is dedicated to initiatives related to the implementation of B.C.’s Education Plan. Specific projects and initiatives for 2014-15 will include continuing support for young readers and to strengthen trades training opportunities and awareness across the province.

In addition to the operating grants, in 2014-15 the Ministry of Education will provide school districts with $75 million through the Learning Improvement Fund to help address complex classroom needs, hire additional teachers and special education assistants and provide additional teaching time.

Quick Facts:

• Government is providing $4.7 billion to districts in operating grants in 2014-15, an increase of 27% compared to the $3.7 billion in operating grants provided in 2000-01.
• Funding to school districts has increased by more than $981 million since 2000-01, and the average per-pupil funding has risen by nearly 38%.
• The Ministry of Education is investing $225 million over three years to support the Learning Improvement Fund. For the current 2013-14 school year, the fund is being used to provide extra support to virtually every public school in the province, including:
• Approximately 500 new teachers and 400 new special-education assistants were hired during the 2012-13 school year.
• $17.3 million devoted to special education, increasing hours of work for more than 7,400 existing assistants and placing more than 400 new teacher assistants in schools.
• $1.8 million devoted to professional development.
• Full implementation of the full-day kindergarten program increased annual funding to school districts by $120 million beginning in 2012.
• Government also provides additional funding of approximately $10.4 million annually for StrongStart early learning programs.
• To ensure that students have safe and modern learning environments, the government has committed or spent nearly $4.1 billion for school capital and maintenance projects throughout B.C. since 2001. Of this amount, $2.2 billion was spent or committed through the Seismic Mitigation Program to upgrade or replace high-risk schools.
• In addition to operating-grant funding to districts, government provides approximately $51 million annually through CommunityLINK, which helps school districts provide breakfast and lunch programs, inner city and community school programs, school-based support workers, and counselling for at-risk children and youth.

Learn More:

BC’s Education Plan: WWW.BCEDPLAN.CA
Provincewide enrolment and funding information for 2014-15:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/k12funding/

Media Contact:

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