Preparing for the upcoming school year's budget: A message from Supt. Mark Pearmain

As we approach the upcoming school year, I’d like to provide an update on our district’s budget planning process. This year, we are facing a uniquely challenging set of circumstances. The exponential growth in student enrollment, a province-wide teacher shortage, and rising costs driven by inflation are impacting our budget more significantly than in previous years.

In response, we have developed a clear, multi-year strategy to address these issues effectively while continuing to deliver high-quality educational programs. Our approach involves refining our resource management, conducting a thorough review of how we utilize physical spaces, and strategically allocating staff resources. We are committed to not only sustaining our operations but also to ensuring educational excellence in the upcoming school year and beyond.

To align with our strategic priorities and effectively manage our budget, we will be implementing a hiring freeze for district office positions that do not directly support these priorities. We are also assessing all programs and services – streamlining or discontinuing those that are not fully funded by the province, or that are not central to our mandate.

A critical component of our strategy is to ensure that every classroom has a certified teacher, which involves strategically evaluating non-enrolling teaching roles to reallocate staff and bolster support where it’s most needed. Our objective is to optimize educational outcomes and sustain our resources.

We recognize that budget changes may cause concern. Please rest assured that our priority remains on providing high-quality education and ensuring the success of every student. These measures are designed to focus our limited resources on areas that directly impact your child's learning experience.

The Surrey Board of Education will review the proposed budget for the next school year at the public board meeting on May 8, 2024. After approval, we will finalize our budget and operational plans for September.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we adjust to these fiscal pressures.

Mark Pearmain
Superintendent | CEO

Translated PDF versions of this letter are also available in Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi, Spanish & English.