The Prince George School District will have to cut nearly $5.6 million in spending to balance its budget.
In a special meeting Tuesday, district trustees voted to use $4.3 million in previous years’ surpluses to spread the cuts over three years. The district will look to cut $2.2 million in the 2009-10 school year, $2.4 million in 2010-11 and $1.2 million in 2011-12.
Despite increases in per-student funding, declining enrolment and investment revenue have meant the district’s income is down $680,000, district superintendent Brian Pepper said.
“Our enrolment has been declining for the last several years. We believe it will be declining until 2013, when it should level out,” Pepper said. “The problem arises once we flat line. Once we level off, we won’t receive the enrolment decline grant.”