The New Westminster school district's $1.3-million surplus this year largely stems from a higher-than-expected boom in international education enrolment.
The district budgeted almost $3 million from international education, but is now expecting approximately $4.5 million to flow into the district, according to the 2015 amended budget released at Tuesday night's school board meeting.
"The bulk of our (international) students go to New Westminster Secondary School, and they are extremely happy at NWSS," superintendent John Gaiptman told the Record. "The international community talks back and forth. If you have a positive experience at a certain school, others in the community know about it. If you have a negative experience, just about everybody knows about it."
The district went from 213 international students in September 2013 to a current enrolment of 330 students. Tuition for a full course load is $13,000 per year for international education students.
Gaiptman praised the international education staff, including director Karen Klein, for the program's success. Most of the students are from Asia, Gaiptman said, but others come from Mexico, South America and Europe.
"Really, we encompass the globe," Gaiptman said.
School districts throughout the province must by law pass balanced budgets. New Westminster previously struggled with budget shortfalls and is still in the process of paying down a $4.8 million surprise deficit. The district has paid the deficit down to $3.71 million and expects to pay down another $1 million this year, leaving an additional $300,000 leftover. By the end of this year, the deficit will be $2.56 million and projected to be paid off over the next two years, Gaiptman said.
The district plans to take the extra money and put it into teaching and support staff for students, the superintendent said.
Since Gaiptman took over the district last February, it has had a major shuffle in its financial department. Both Sheldon Lee, the district's director of finance, and secretary-treasurer Al Balanuik left the district. Kevin Lorenz was brought on as assistant secretary-treasurer, but moved up to acting secretary-treasurer since Balanuik left.
"We are much better at handling surpluses," Gaiptman jokingly said to trustees during the brief budget presentation on Tuesday.
While the district is in the black, the 2014/15 amended budget included lower-than-expected revenue from the ministry (by $52,000), rentals and leases (less $147,000), but higher-than-expected income from the district's investments (by $84,000).
One of the significant areas that the district has managed to cut costs is to legal bills since Gaiptman took over.
"We managed to handle everything internally and do it well," he said. "You can actually do it, and you can walk in there and make agreements and not always need a lawyer with you. To be honest with you, there isn't that much new in education. There is agreements that have been made in other districts."
The district has also cut back on hiring outside contractors, Gaiptman added.
