The Chinook's Edge School Division is asking the Alberta government to give it an exemption from a new carbon tax levy set to come into effect Jan. 1, 2017.
If the exemption is not granted, it could impact staffing levels in the division as early as next year, says Chinook's Edge chairperson Colleen Butler.
In a letter approved by the board and sent out May 13, Butler officially asked Minister of Education David Eggen for the exemption.
“On behalf of the CESD board of education, we urge the Alberta Government to consider exempting school boards from carbon tax levy that is expected to come into effect on Jan. 1, 2017.”
Administration has determined that the levy will cost the division about $175,000 over the next two years.
“Our early projections show that there will be an impact to our transportation and facilities 2016/2017 budgets for the six month period of approximately $70,000, which will increase to $105,000 the following year,” she said.
“Although difficult to predict, there will also be significant increases to operating costs across the division as our suppliers pass on the levy. We fear that with already tight budgets, this will have a direct impact to student learning in the classroom as staffing reductions may be necessary.”
Imposing new levies on school divisions would be counterproductive, she said.
“Why would the government want to place this additional financial pressure on school boards by taxing back funds that they have provided them to operate?”
Meanwhile, the Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools board is preparing a letter to the education minister asking for an exemption, says chairman Guy Pelletier.
“We are working on a letter that we would send to the ministry as well,” Pelletier told the Gazette. “We suspect that would be occurring across the province with most boards and municipalities and probably post-secondary institutions as well.
“The challenge for us would be similar to what Chinook's Edge has, with something in the range of $80,000 for 2017 and because we are opening a couple new schools, the impact would go up to $120,000 a year starting in 2018.”
Asked if the extra costs could lead to cutbacks in staff, he said, “It's something we have to deal with in the existing budget. If we've got to come up with another $120,000 a year, where do we find that? Staff would certainly be one option and there are other ways to find money. It's dollars we're given to educate our students and to have to pay it in a government tax is a bit of a tough one for sure.”
The Red Deer Catholic letter to the minister should be ready to send out by the end of the month, he said.
"If we've got to come up with another $120,000 a year, where do we find that? "Guy Pelletierboard chairman
