Senior staff cuts needed to trim expenses at Central Okanagan School District

Photo: Central Okanagan Public Schools

SD23 looks to find savings in 2025-2026 budget

The Central Okanagan School District expects to eliminate some senior staff positions as it looks to make up an anticipated $5.2 million budget shortfall for the 2025-2026 school year.

In a report for the district’s board of education meeting Wednesday, outgoing Supt. Kevin Kaardal outlined several initiatives the district will have to make in order to make up the shortfall.

As part of that, several positions have been eliminated or will not be filled through attrition.

The district has eliminated the director of instruction position while a district vice-principal position was reclassified to a district principal position.

A district vice-principal position was eliminated altogether while the deputy superintendent position will not be filled through attrition.

Those moves will save the district nearly $450,000.

Administration costs are proposed to be reduced through administrative allocation adjustments realizing savings of more than $500,000.

The district also proposes to continue reducing senior staff through attrition while restructuring district-funded consultants and department heads.

The district also plans to focus on employee wellness in hopes of seeing illness costs return to pre-pandemic levels.

“The district has a history of prudent financial planning and stable financial health,” Kaardal concludes.

“This stable financial health can be attributed to sound financial management, planning and governance.

“As we forecast for the 2025-2026 annual budget bylaw, we expect the district budget development principles, the fiscal oversight of the board of education, and the conservative forecasting of operating budgets to continue.”