This school year our local school board, like all public bodies, will have part of their funding clawed back to offset the costs of their carbon emissions. Locally the amount will be between $200,000 and $225,000. Prince George school will lose roughly $17 per student while warmer Districts such as Langley will lose on $6 per student. This money is part of the fallacious "Highest Funding Ever" claim but never makes it into schools or classrooms. To give a rough idea of what services that amount could provide it would fund a learning support block in every high school in the District or enough counselling services to meet the needs in half dozen elementary schools. Parents might be interested in where that taxpayer "Education" money goes instead of into local schools. The money is added to funds clawed back from every school district and every other public body such as Health authorities and it is given to a brand new crown corporation called The Pacific Carbon Trust. The directors of the trust, including the deputy education minister determine which projects around the province will receive these tax dollars to finance energy efficiency projects. It actually sounds like a worthwhile thing to do if those tax dollars were improving B.C. schools but that is not where the money is spent. If you visit the Trust website you will find out that the money clawed back from our schools and hospitals are funding projects at luxury hotels and resorts across B.C. The Westin Whistler Resort and Spa, The Pan Pacific Mountainside and Sun Peaks Lodge are among a long list of private firms that are receiving funds from schools to make improvements to their heating systems. Not a single school in B.C. is receiving any funding from the Trust despite having millions pulled from the "Highest Funding Ever". At a time when parents are seeing fewer and fewer resources in their local public schools it must be a comfort to know that the private owners of luxury resorts will see their heating bills go down this winter.
Matt Pearce
Vice-president Prince George School District Teacher's Association
Prince George
