Another broken promise: stable funding

"Give school boards multi-year funding envelopes, to improve long-term education planning and budgeting." (A New Era for British Columbia, BC Liberals, 2001)

Between December 2003 and April 6, 2005, the BC Liberals have made 28 one-time-funding announcements regarding education: 28 one-time-funding announcements in 26 months. The announcements total $148 million, of which $60 million goes to places other than the classroom.

Some examples:

• $2.1 million to the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association
• $250,000 for a private special-needs school
• $300,000 to CanWest papers’ Raise-a-Reader Campaign
• $12 million for public libraries
• $150,000 for AOs to supervise teachers
• $5 million to train AOs
• $11.3 million to parent advisory councils
• $5 million to TELUSphere, formerly Science World (Over the last two years, Telus has given the BC Liberals almost $100,000.)

Timing is interesting. Between September 3, 2004, and the Surrey by-election, on October 28, there were seven one-time-grant announcements, totalling $16 million.

The totals do not include announcements for capital projects or seismic upgrades. Teachers receive the announcements through the media.