August 29, 2005
Coquitlam Students to Benefit from Additional $8.1 Million in Funding
Coquitlam
– As a result of an $8.1 million boost in funding, announced by the BC Government in January, the
Coquitlam
School District is expected to hire over 100 teachers and other educators in order to improve services for students at risk, increase library resources and bolster arts and literacy programs.
Coquitlam
School District
43 is receiving $8,139,158 as their share of the $150 million increase to provincial education funding for the 2005/2006 budget year, announced in January.
This additional funding will assist the district in continuing to provide services that are needed and valued by the district’s students and parents and ensure that students are provided with optimum learning environments.
According to a submission provided to the Ministry of Education by the
Coquitlam School District, the additional funding will be directed to the following areas:
Support for students at risk:
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Adding special education teachers at secondary schools;
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Adding youth workers;
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Expanding the early literacy project for children at risk; and
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Providing additional resources to schools with the most vulnerable students.
Support to improve learning, specifically literacy and numeracy;
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Hiring teachers to work as literacy and numeracy mentors; and
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Hiring teachers to support the new requirements of the graduation program.
Enhancing support to libraries:
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Increasing the allocation of funds for materials;
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Creating a full-time library co-ordinator position; and
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Providing funding to support district level acquisition of databases, allowing more time for librarians to work with students.
Support to the arts:
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Restoring a full-time district coordinator. This position will provide a higher profile for the arts in the district and assist in expanding a number of programs already in place including:
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Learning through the Arts Program;
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ArtStarts in Schools; and
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Provide time for teachers to develop instructional strategies for teaching the arts.
This year, school district operating budgets will total more than $4.027 billion – the highest ever. Since 2000/01, the Province has increased funding to B.C. public schools by nearly $460 million: $305 million in annual district operating grants and $153 million in special, one-time grants. At the same time there are 30,000 fewer students in public schools, school boards are hiring an additional 1,600 staff.
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