A school board official says every avenue will be explored to find $4 million in savings, with minimal impact on students.
The Hastings Prince Edward District School Board has announced that it has a shortfall of that much heading into its budget season.
Superintended of Business Services Nick Pfeiffer says the board must trim $4 million by late June, as it’s legally required to pass a balanced budget. That, he said, is impossible to do without having some impact on the board’s employees.
“So, there’s no way to make substantial changes without, in some way, impacting staffing,” he says. “So, what I would say is, when we look at (a need to save) $4 million, we say, what can we do to support our students in schools.”
Pfeiffer says, the board has heard from parents that they want more workers in schools and less “centralized” staff, and HPEDSB hopes to minimize cuts of employees that work directly with students.