Students with unique needs stand to benefit after Nanaimo-Ladysmith school trustees gave the go-ahead for $670,000 in surplus dollars to be spent on student supports.
At the school board's meeting Wednesday, Nov. 27, unanimous approval was given to reallocate the surplus money from the 2023-24 school year on 10 line items. As the district is seeing greater enrolment of students with disabilities, inclusion support teachers will get more hours with an expenditure of $150,000.
An extra full-time child youth and family support worker for Nanaimo District Secondary School is coming thanks to $50,000 in surplus, as is another full-time counsellor to address social, emotional and mental health, with a $105,000 allocation.
More lunch-time supervisors, allowing break time for EAs, will come with a $100,000 spend. As it stands, some EAs are watching students on the playground, on top of individual students. Some of the money will go toward EA hours and some for supervision aides, stated a staff report.
Jo Cornthwaite, Nanaimo District Teachers' Association president, told the News Bulletin more hours for inclusion support teachers are becoming a necessity, reiterating that students with more complex needs are entering the system.
"That is challenging for regular classroom teachers to work with," said Cornthwaite. "That provided support by the inclusion support teacher allows for the opportunity for specialized programming and additional supports, both in class and out of class."
Trustee Tania Brzovic said she hopes the board can find a way to maintain "at least some of these supports," but superintendent Robyn Gray told the board the surplus money is not a long-term fix.
"The board should be aware of three important facts considering these reallocations," said Gray at the meeting. "The funds are one-time in nature. Given the time of the expenditures, the amounts reflect the pro-rated costs of the supports, rather than their full, yearly costs and the numbers are approximate in terms of the monies."
The report stated the school district has no intention of dipping into its reserve fund.
