Osoyoos Town Council (Council) continues to view the financial situation of School District #53 as extremely disturbing and a challenge that needs to be addressed in a collaborative manner that extends beyond the School District #53 Board direction to close Osoyoos Secondary School (OSS).
This is a regional problem that needs the Board to provide leadership and pull together the elected leadership of the entire SD#53 to work toward a shared positive solution. By all appearances, the Board’s solution for declining student enrollment will be to continue to “pick off the low hanging fruit” and continue to close schools. The ultimate result will be the demise of the entire SD#53. The Osoyoos community does not agree that OSS is “low hanging fruit”, we have a viable and successful school that is the collateral damage resulting from the Board refusing to engage the entire region for a collective solution.
The closure of OSS eliminates another economic development resource that assists the Osoyoos community in contributing to the economic viability of the entire region.
In Council’s last correspondence to the Board, Council identified opportunities to provide the Board financial assistance to meet their deficit challenge. No amounts of funding were attached to these suggestions due to the short time frame associated with this challenge. Council is now prepared to provide financial substance to the areas of potential deficit assistance. All of these offers to assist SD#53 with its funding shortfall are contingent on SD#53 continuing the operations of OSS and agreeing to work with all local governments in the SD#53 region in an effort to find regional solutions to the SD#53 budget shortfalls.
1. Council and the Regional District “A” are prepared to seek elector assent or municipal budgeting processes to provide SD#53 an annual grant of $352,000 for three years in order to retain the services of the OSS. The decision of the electorate can be delivered to the Board within approximately 2 months of the Board accepting this proposal. Council will also be approaching the Osoyoos Indian Band to provide financial assistance.
2. Council offers the Town’s operational services (mowing grass/snow removal) at Osoyoos facilities to a maximum of $15,000 in machine and manpower services, discontinue charging water and sewer fees ($35,000) starting in the SD#53 2016-17 operating year. Council will seek out the assistance of other municipalities and utility purveyors to offer the same services. Research of this area has determined that a cooperative effort from all utility purveyors will result in savings of approximately $100,000. If the Board can produce evidence that operational services carry a higher cost, Council is willing to consider the additional assistance.
3. Council is prepared to explore any other areas of financial interface as an opportunity to provide service to the SD#53.
Council looks forward to working with the Board, its other local government partners and residents of SD#53 to assist in resolving the education budget and program issues that confront the Board now and in the future. We all have the opportunity and the leadership obligation to work together to cause a paradigm shift in the way that elected officials work together to enable sustainable communities and education services.
On behalf of council
Mayor Sue McKortoff
Letter released today