The Vancouver school board may lose as many as 70 full-time positions for the next school year, a preliminary budget proposal shows.

The elimination of continuing education programs for adults and the band and strings program for elementary schools appear to be the most significant changes recommended in the report released Tuesday.

“These are very difficult decisions that I wish we were not in the position that we had to consider,” said Patti Bacchus, Vancouver school board chairwoman. “When I look down the list (of proposed cuts) I gasp at a lot of them. We knew it wouldn’t be easy and we know other school districts are going through the same difficult choices.”

The plan forecasts a $26.6-million shortfall for the 2015-2016 school year and a $3.76-million shortfall for the 2016-2017 year, when enrolment is projected to increase.

Twenty-four of the 70 positions are already slated to be eliminated due to declining enrolment or decisions that are already in the works, such as a plan to close the adult education centre at Lord Roberts elementary.

The board is looking for $12.34 million in savings or increased revenue over and above those reductions, which could be another 48 positions. The board’s total budget is just under $500 million and it employs more than 5,400 people.

The elimination of band programs in elementary schools was suggested a few years ago, but opposition was loud and clear, Bacchus said. This time, the proposal includes an option to charge parents for band, which is an optional program, but Bacchus said that raises equity concerns.

“The whole point of public schooling is to try to level that playing field and provide opportunities for everyone, not just those who can afford it,” Bacchus said, adding that because band teachers are non-enrolling teachers, the cost is in addition to classroom teachers.

Eliminating the band and strings programs in elementary schools would save the district $630,651 and eliminate 8.85 full-time equivalent positions.

Continuing education classes are non-credit recreational courses, not to be confused with Adult Education classes, which are for-credit courses paid for by the Ministry of Education to help adults graduate from secondary school. Bacchus said the continuing education programs are losing money due to increasing competition, particularly from the Internet.

“It’s a very tough market. If you want to learn how to cook, you watch YouTube,” Bacchus said. “Many young people will tell us they just watch online.”

Closing the continuing education program would save the district $514,401 and eliminate 9.21 full-time equivalent positions.

The proposal also includes three additional closure days, time that would be made up by adding five minutes to each school day. Vancouver schools will already be closed an extra six days. A few years ago, the VSB closed schools for an extra 10 days to help balance the budget, but parents said it was difficult to find child care for that many days, Bacchus said.

Closure days save money because substitute teachers and special education assistants are not called in when teachers are sick.

Filling in for employees who are absent due to illness costs the VSB an average of $125,000 each day, Bacchus said.

The proposed cuts affect teachers and staff in all areas, including administration, gifted education, substance abuse programs and alternative programs. Also on the list are school counsellors, a school psychologist, a speech and language pathologist, multicultural workers, literacy mentors, an athletic coordinator and others.

Some of the positions are already vacant or will be phased out after retirements, the plan says.

“We have our seatbelts fastened, waiting to hear what people have to say about these proposals,” Bacchus said. “In my experience, there are always some changes made based on the feedback that we hear at the consultations.”

Vancouver school trustees will take public feedback throughout the month of April and is scheduled to approve a balanced budget on April 30.

Sun Education Reporter

tsherlock@vancouversun.com