School District 73 Board Meeting, Jan 13 (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

BUDGET CUTS

SD73 unveils new strategy to reduce costs associated with using on-call teachers

Jan 14, 2025 | 5:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — Following a multi-million dollar accounting error discovered last summer, the Kamloops-Thompson School District has received monthly updates, the latest such update brought mixed results.

“If things turn around and they are on a good trajectory, [Monday] night (Jan. 13) was a good news story in the sense that we are on track,” said Superintendent Rhonda Nixon. “The only thing that wasn’t on track was relief costs and a little bit of an overage in benefits, which can happen in a district our size. But you saw that all the other budget holders are… I would say it’s green.”

Replacement costs refers to the budget for Teachers Teaching on Call (TTOC), custodial relief and relief for certified education assistants.

As for TTOCs, the district is unveiling a new strategy using district staff to sub for sick teachers.

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“When they go into classes, they are enabling us to not to spend money on what is called a TTOC… so they will save, by doing that and supporting us from February 1 to June 30 — or perhaps even earlier if things turn around — approximately $600,000,” said Nixon.

That change will mean the district pausing a number of internal initiatives.

“If we don’t have a teacher in class, we are not supporting students. And if we don’t have projects that don’t go on until next year, that’s not as difficult of a sacrifice than not having someone in a classroom. I really think this is the best of the most difficult approaches,” added Nixon.

The district has promised that the change will not effect students, and the president of the local teachers association agrees, as long as the move remains temporary.

“Over the long term if it were to continue, yes, we would see an impact in classrooms. Directly right now, I think this is the best way to protect classrooms and the district has maintained those jobs for those teachers. We wouldn’t have wanted to see layoffs but we also can’t ignore that our teachers teaching on call will have fewer opportunities now with more people on the TTOC list,” said KTTA President Darcy Martin.

The district was also over budget on transportation costs due to studded tires on buses and facility maintenance, but both are expected to level out.

“If we are finding out quarterly reports, things can change month to month. This is one of the things we are learning, as well, and that they can change significantly,” said Board Chair Heather Grieve. “When we are getting monthly reporting, we really do have a better finger on the pulse of the kind of things that are going on within our district. And we are able to be very thoughtful in our decision making and understanding the rational from a operation lens on why things are being recommended to us.”

The board voted unanimously in support of the budget changes. The next update from the board is expected later this month with the quarterly report.

CFJC News has reached out to CUPE 3500, who represents the support staff throughout the district for comment. The union is expecting to provide a statement later this week, highlighting their concerns with the decisions made on Monday.