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Vancouver’s school board chairman Mike Lombardi said the cuts will have a significant and direct impact on teaching and learning in the classroom.

“Vancouver public schools are great places for students to learn. The success of our kids is due to the dedication of our teachers, administrators and support staff,” said Mike Lombardi, chairman of the Vancouver School Board. “However, our world-class school system is at risk due to chronic underfunding, downloading and broken commitments by the provincial government. … On behalf of the VSB I am once again urging the provincial government to reinvest in our public education system by providing adequate, predictable and sustainable funding now.”

B.C.’s Minister of Education Mike Bernier said he is disappointed with the interim budget.

“In the face of record funding from the province, VSB’s failure to deal with under-capacity schools over the years means taxpayers are paying an extra $37 million a year funding empty seats instead of education,” Bernier said in an emailed statement. “The VSB also received an extra $2 million this year in “funding protection” to help them deal with declining enrolment.”

NDP education critic Rob Fleming said the shortfall is another example of underfunding of school boards.

“Under the B.C. Liberals, British Columbia has gone from the second-best funded education system in the country to the second worst,” Fleming said. “The Christy Clark government is clearly not there for B.C. families and the public education system. B.C. students and parents deserve better.”