More teachers hired to handle growing enrolment in Coquitlam

A combination of higher than expected enrolment, illness and inflation has bumped up the cost of running Coquitlam district schools (SD43).

At the Tuesday (Feb. 7) board meeting, trustees approved an amended budget of $447,473,144 for the 2022-23 school year, which includes operating as well as capital and special purpose funds.

But it was the higher operating costs of $19.2 million over last year's preliminary budget of $324.7 million for salaries, benefits, supplies, utilities, insurance and transportation that was the focus of a staff report.

Most of the higher costs are for increased salaries, contracted wage increases and benefits.

SD43 superintendent Patricia Garland said the fall brought "multi-faceted challenges," including an "exponential growth" in the number of students, as well as more illness, caused by the end to pandemic restrictions.

More ELL students needing supports

This fall, 700 more newcomer students — not including international education students — joined SD43, bringing the enrolment to 1,635.

To help them improve their English language learning (ELL) skills, the district has hired ELL specialists, including a teacher at Summit Middle School.

As well, the district is piloting a new digital report card, called an annual instruction plan, that sets students' goals and strategies for learning.

Trustees were told that teachers are getting special training to learn the system, and other supports, so they can help their newcomer students.

Colds and flu hitting school classrooms

In recent months, respiratory illnesses, including colds and flu, has resulted in illness throughout the school district.

To ensure that classes are covered when a teacher is ill, the district hired a flying squad of 15 permanent teachers on call (or substitutes) who fill in where needed.

However, only nine of the positions are filled, because the demand for teachers is so high and teachers are being placed in other jobs.

school-district-43-board-office-lit-up-at-night — *School District 43 (SD43) Education Learning Centre lit up at night. By Diane Strandberg, Tri-City News*

International student enrolment growing

Helping improve the school district's bottom line is international education revenue, which was nearly $2 million more than budgeted.

Gartland told trustees that international education is opening up again with the easing of pandemic restrictions and more international flights.

"That's all really opened up this year," she said, noting 1,200 international students are currently studying in K-12 schools, generating more than $17 million in revenue.

Investment income is also trending above budget due to higher interest rates and has been increased by $781,000.

More students, more teachers to hire

However, the district has had to top up the budget with its own reserves by more than $17 million while it waits for the provincial government to confirm money for wage increases and fund teachers necessary to address enrolment pressures.

The amended budget includes the following staff increases; all positions in FTEs (full-time equivalency):

Teachers

27 for enrolment increases
20 classroom enhancements
15 permanent substitute teachers to help reduce number of unfilled absences
10 for increase in international enrolment
One (1) for Indigenous Education (sans one FTE teacher coordinator position for trades and transition who converted to vice principal)

Educational assistants

16 for increase in special needs students;
Two (2) temporary Indigenous Education Youth Workers;
One (1) temporary youth worker for supervision on bussing required for Coast Salish Elementary students.

Support staff