The Langley board of education has approved a $212 million amended 2016-2017 budget.
The move came during the Feb. 21 meeting, as School District secretary-treasurer David Green explained to trustees where the money came from as well as plans for spending it. The Ministry of Education provided $171 million in provincial grants this school year.
Meanwhile, $13 million in revenue came from international students.
With its “world class” reputation, the district is expecting to host up to 1,000 international students next year, Green said.
The district plans to spend $500,000 on infrastructure and furniture and $173,00 on portables. With the 2016-17 year being a ‘particularly bad flu season,’ the district has increased its budget by $479,000 due to teachers being home sick, he said. It also paid out $129,421 in pay raises for principals and vice principals.
The extreme winter weather has been expensive as well. Snow and ice removal will cost the district well over $100,000, said Green.
The district added more teachers, especially in elementary schools, and more Special Education Assistants (SEAs).
A total of 209 new English Language Learners entered the school district this year.
The district will spend $159.6 million on instruction. Green explained that many teachers in Langley have retired and new ones have been hired.
Green cautioned that cost of instruction will rise once those new teachers start to climb the pay ladder.
In total, the district spent $6.4 million on district administration and $20 million on operations and maintenance. The district will offset a $2 million deficit by using prior years’ surpluses.
Longtime trustee Alison McVeigh remarked that it is nice for the district to be in a good place financially.
“There is a lot of good things going on for students,” said McVeigh.