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School board cuts vice-principal positions to save money

Schools will have to do without vice-principals as the Howe Sound School Board struggles to bring in a balanced budget with $1 million less than last year. "We have reduced vice-principal positions in the district," said Dr.

Schools will have to do without vice-principals as the Howe Sound School Board struggles to bring in a balanced budget with $1 million less than last year.

"We have reduced vice-principal positions in the district," said Dr. Linda Rossler, superintendent of schools for the district.

"One at Brackendale Elementary and one at Garibaldi Highlands.

"Those positions won’t exist unless there is some sort of financial change.

"The thing that we are going to cover first of all are teachers with students in the classroom, because that is what we hold near and dear."

Along with the elimination of these positions will be a delay in replacing Myrtle Philip principal Bob Daly, who retires this July.

Hs position will be filled temporarily by current Myrtle Philip vice-principal Ron Albertin, who will be the principal of the new elementary school in Spring Creek when it opens in 2003.

Gerri Galloway, who will move from Garibaldi Highlands to Myrtle Philip, will assist him.

"We will be looking to advertise the position in January," said Rossler. "Because we are in this budgetary restraint right now we are apprehensive about making too many additional administrative positions when we are in the process of reducing administrators."

Rossler also pointed out that when Spring Creek opens it is unlikely either it or Myrtle Philip will have vice-principals, as they will both be smaller schools.

The district and its schools are currently working on their budgets. When the final numbers are in, said Rossler, the board will have a better idea of where cuts can be made.

The hope she said is to spread the cuts out so the impact is less severe.

"The more you spread the cuts out the less strong the impact is because schools can look for small things to save money on, where we would have to look for bigger things to save money on," said Rossler.

"The principals are working very hard to try and maintain programs that maintain the characters of the schools. That is their primary focus during these adjustments in service delivery."

Teacher positions will also be cut.

"There will be a reduction in teachers but we are not sure of the exact extent," said Rossler.

But there is no truth to the rumour that Stawamus Elementary will be closed – at least not this year.

"Stawamus is not closing down," she said. "There isn’t room in the district for students from Stawamus until such time as we finish the renovations at Squamish elementary.

"We will look at it next year based upon what are budget is."