NEWS PHOTO JEREMY APPEL
First-time teacher Jaymi Roth assists her Grade 5 students at Ross Glen with an assignment on the first day of school Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019. The board chair of the Medicine Hat Public School Division, Rick Massini, is expressing concern over potential cuts to education suggested in the MacKinnon Report released this week. The report was convened by Premier Jason Kenney to examine Alberta's finances and how to reduce debt load through lower spending.
jappel@medicinehatnews.com@MHNJeremyAppel
The board chair of the Medicine Hat Public School Division is expressing concern over the impact of the MacKinnon Report’s recommendations on education funding.
The report – named after its panel’s chair, former Saskatchewan NDP finance minister Janice MacKinnon – was convened by Premier Jason Kenney to examine the province’s finances and determine how to reduce its debt load without increasing taxes.
In terms of K-12 education, the panel, whose findings were made public Tuesday, suggests funding for schools be tied to performance rather than enrolment numbers, and a cut in administrative and governance spending to 17 per cent of the budget from 25 per cent, which would bring Alberta in line with B.C.
Related:City figures it can absorb provincial cuts
MHPSD chair Rick Massini says these changes would put public schools at a disadvantage, particularly changes to the funding formula’s criteria.
“We’re deeply concerned about that. Differentiated funding based on outcomes is a tactic that has been attempted in the United States and research shows it’s had a negative impact on poor and disadvantaged communities in the U.S.,” Massini said, referring to former president George W. Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” policy.
He said this policy “sets up a cycle.”
“Reduced funding results in reduced resources. Reduced resources results in lower achievement, and the cycle continues. We don’t think that’s an advantageous way of funding schools,” said Massini.
Some students have learning challenges – whether it’s a disability, language barrier or socioeconomic status – that aren’t taken into account when looking solely at results.
“Any child that comes to our door, we welcome” Massini said. “In our system, we have a huge percentage of immigrant students and a large percentage of students with learning disabilities. Those students won’t perform at the same level as other students, at least not initially.
“If our funding was based on the performance of students, we would be seriously impacted by that.”
He says the 25 per cent figure in the report encompasses more of MHPSD’s budget than just administrative and governance costs.
“Twenty-five per cent would include things like facilities, transportation, maintenance and so on. Our actual governance allotment is four per cent, which we haven’t hit in many, many years,” Massini said.
For example, MHPSD has spent about $2 million this summer on the district’s most urgent renovations.
“A reduction in that line would certainly be prohibitive in helping us keep our buildings renewed, refreshed and in good repair,” said Massini.
Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes says the purpose of the panel’s recommendations is to get Alberta’s spending in line with other provinces.
“If we’re eight per cent higher in administration costs compared to British Columbia – our competitive neighbour next door – we need to ensure, as per our election goal, that hard-earned tax dollars are pushed to the front line and that classrooms have services for children that means service for families, teachers and educational assistants,” said Barnes.
Tying funding to performance outcomes would benefit rural schools, which suffer from chronically decreasing enrolment, he added.
“This will ensure that the funding is there for rural Alberta to make sure that our kids are treated equally and fairly,” Barnes said.
