COLLINS: Kamloops-Thompson School District continues to face huge uphill battle
THE KAMLOOPS-THOMPSON SCHOOL DISTRICT has been working hard to try to rebalance its budget after being put in a $2 million hole earlier this year. The mistake, which originated with a line in the budget being counted twice, resulted in a $2 million shortfall that has caused the district to totally reevaluate its budget allocations.
Unfortunately, the decision cost secretary-treasurer Trina Cassidy her job, which sadly had to happen because the buck has to stop somewhere. However, the error has provided some serious issues for the school district going forward to the New Year.
The board has looked at selling pieces of property that no longer fit the school board plans, and it has looked at not filling vacancies. Rhonda Nixon, the school district superintendent, says layoffs will be a last resort. However, it is most likely those layoffs will occur; that would be a tragedy.
Just when it looked like the school district was seeing some clear ground ahead, that ground has been covered over like a landslide with very little wiggle room for the board to operate. Programs that looked like they were going to go ahead have now either been pulled back or shuttered entirely.