The Kamloops-Thompson School District will be short just over $1.5 million in funding this school year because of a drop in student enrolment due to COVID-19.

Board Chair Rhonda Kershaw says instead of cutting programs, school trustees chose to balance the budget using money from reserves.

“We had a higher than usual operating reserve that we set aside last spring in anticipation that this may be an issue,” she said. “This is a provincial issue, this is a worldwide issue, and so we are hoping that the province will recognize that there are these budget shortfalls and perhaps by the end of the year, they may make up this difference.”

As of September 30, there are 14,789 students enrolled across the school district, 114 fewer than what was projected for the 2020-21 school year. Board staff say there has been a decrease of 176 FTE elementary school students, but secondary students have increased by 61.75 FTE.

“We could have implemented budget cuts, but the reality is that that is looked at either staffing or supplies, and that is not something that we are willing to do at this point,” Kershaw added.

“We know that there is a change that students might come back. Its the time where we need to step up and support students and not be looking at trying to cut our budget.”

SD73 Secretary-Treasurer Kelvin Stretch says the Ministry of Education is monitoring the shifting enrolment patterns and notes that either a second enrolment count or some additional funding is expected to be announced in December, once the provincial enrolment has been finalized and the provincial budget is fully allocated.

“Administration will be revisiting the District Operating, Special Purpose and Capital budgets in February 2021 when the 2020-2021 Final Budget Bylaw will be presented for approval based on the adjusted provincial funding scheduled to be announcement in December 2020,” Stretch said.