SUDBURY—The Rainbow District School Board received a pleasant year-end surprise in the form of a $2 million operating surplus for 2013 that brings its accumulated surplus to $10 million. The board decided it was time to invest the surplus in some one-shot projects that will benefit students and hopefully generate further savings.
The surplus came about in part from a less than expected drop in student enrollment in the public school system across the RDSB, administrative and operational savings and, probably most surprising to most people facing winter fuel bills, a reduction in fuel and electricity costs.
“People like to think ‘oh yeah, green solutions’,” said RDSB chair Doreen Dewar. “But it works.”
Although it was expected that there would be 500 fewer students in the board this year, the actual number turned out to be closer to 250 less. Since the original budget was set for 500 fewer students, the initial provincial funding reflected that reduction. When the board assessed its actual numbers at mid-year, the discrepancy resulted in more funding from the province coming in. Unfortunately, the enrollment numbers are still in decline, if not as precipitously. “That is just part of life now,” said Ms. Dewar. “There are simply fewer children.”
The fuel and electricity savings have been substantial thanks to retrofits of a number of RDSB schools. “To put it in personal perspective, if you are living in a house that is 40 or 50 years old and you upgrade, insulate, put in new windows or move to a new energy efficient home, you would see an immediate change in your energy bills,” said Ms. Dewar. “It works the same way with a school board, except the numbers are much larger.”
The RDSB has an accumulated operating surplus of $10 million including this year’s windfall, and it has decided to embark on a number of projects with the funds that reflect its one-time nature.
The board has chalked in $5 million of the accumulated surplus for projects in areas such as mental health supports, curriculum implementation, information technology and health and safety in the board’s shops.
“Many of that spending will provide benefits that will still be there next year,” said Ms. Dewar. The RDSB is also spending $3 million on modernizing schools in an effort to make them even more ‘green,’ therefore reducing utility costs. Another half a million dollars is being placed in an account to fund retirement gratuities. “We have about $2.4 million needed for retirement over the next four to five years,” said Ms. Dewar.
“Our administration also wisely decided to put $1.5 million back into the accumulated surplus,” said Ms. Dewar. “If we overestimate or underestimate the enrolment in the future, we want to make sure we have a little bit of a cushion.”
Ms. Dewar said that she was very proud of the work of both the administration and staff, both maintenance and educational. “We have an absolutely incredible staff,” she said. “They do amazing jobs, they really do.”
