The Challenge of Using Tax Revenues Effectively

Taxation, at any level, seems to be a quagmire for many people. How is revenue generated, what influences where money is spent, why does there always seem to be less revenue to pay for needed services when taxes always appear to be on the increase? Each level of government derives its income from unique sources. Ottawa relies primarily on corporate and individual taxes, as well as GST/HST. The province relies on sales tax, individual tax and transfers from Ottawa. Municipal authorities generate money through property tax and some licensing fees, as well as support from the province and, for specific projects, from Ottawa. School divisions levy a school tax tied to property taxation, and receive funding and support from the province.

Then there is the equally convoluted approach to who is responsible for what. Ottawa funds health care with the provinces, but the provinces are responsible for delivery. Yet, Ottawa exercises control over what is delivered. The municipalities are responsible for water management, roads and so on, yet the province exercises control in many of those areas, as well as through the Municipal Act. The school divisions are responsible for the delivery of programs and the running of the schools, but the province sets most of the curriculum and decides where schools will be built and funded. This intricately intertwined system of inputs and outputs leads to a great deal of confusion as to where responsibility (and blame) should be placed for high tax and poor service.

In the rural areas, there is a more uniform system of funding for school divisions, since school divisions cross over several municipalities, and each municipality may rely on varied levels of business versus residential property revenues. In Winnipeg, it is the reverse, with the city relying on business and residential property taxes across the entire area, with several school divisions being embedded within that boundary. Divisions like Seven Oaks have a much lower business tax base than others, resulting in a heavier burden on the homeowner. This is part of the inequitable funding that our school division faces.

The second component of this imbalanced funding approach for our ratepayers is the way the province determines how much money will be allocated to each school division. In the past decade, our division has pursued, aggressively, a more fair and equitable distribution of funds from the province. We still have a long way to go.

However, because we know that we are being confronted with two hurdles to overcome, as we struggle to make sure that our taxpayers are not overwhelmed by the cost of education, we have been quite successful at making our tax revenues work more effectively for you than have other divisions. In fact, Seven Oaks spends, on average, approximately $1,000 ($996.00) less per student than the average of other divisions in the province, yet is recognized as one of the leaders in innovative programming. That is something of which all of us in the region should be proud. Along with that point of pride is a second one: our graduation rates have been increasing, year after year, rising to 90% last year. To provide a comparison, some states in the USA have graduation rates below 65%.

In a prior blog, I discussed our innovative programming that addresses the individual skills, interests and weaknesses of each student.  These programs, and the support services that we offer to our youth allow individuals to excel. With the very diverse socio-economic and cultural milieu in our division, we face additional challenges that are not experienced by many other school divisions.  This eclectic mix, though, also is a great benefit to us and our young people, exposing us to a variety of points of view, backgrounds, abilities  and potential. Our diversity helps us to devise more creative and effective solutions to the issues we face, with a lower tax base with which to fund those solutions.

Yet, the real skill in delivering quality education programs for our children has less to do with the various levels of government than it does with the people who surround us. Seven Oaks would be justified in bragging about the high quality of educators and administrative staff who keep our system running smoothly. While it is true that the hiring of our teachers and school support staff is the ultimate responsibility of the school board, it is the dedication of those staff members that guarantees that the programs that the trustees approve are delivered in a professional manner. Our administrative and operations personnel, led by our division superintendent, largely should be given the credit for the ongoing value that each of us receive for the tax dollars spent.

Finally, one of the motivators that drives each of the elected public servants to  do the best job possible at investing tax dollars in good education is the fact that each trustee is also a ratepayer in the division, and any taxes imposed affect that trustee in precisely the same manner as every other ratepayer. Unlike upper levels of government, every trustee, therefore, is personally invested in making sure that his or her community is getting the best “bang for the buck” in use of tax money.

While we can make excuses or give legitimate reasons for why Seven Oaks is facing greater challenges than other school divisions, we, as trustees, have chosen to act more responsibly. Yes, budgeting is difficult.  However, those difficulties force us to work harder at finding better solutions, and, as a result, we ratepayers in Seven Oaks can be proud that we live in one of the most respected school divisions in the province, and deliver some of the best programming for our youth. Taxation is challenging. However, the rewards, for us, lay in being able to deliver value for each and every dollar spent.

The Value of Co-operative Vocational Education( CVE) Programs

Not many years ago, the prevailing wisdom, shared by parents and educators alike, was that the ideal was to have as many high school students as possible proceed to university. “Without a degree,” many said, “a student has no future.” Today, good educators realize that many students are better suited for trades, and that the demand for skilled workers in those fields is as strong as for university graduates. However, the education system still tends to leave preparation for rapid entry into trades until after high school, when the best time to assist those students suited for such careers is the same as for routing others into university: high school.

In Manitoba and the western provinces, demand for tradesmen and skilled labour is extremely high. Our neighbour to the south – North Dakota – has an increasingly difficult time recruiting tradesmen to the region for its burgeoning oil industry and contingent construction boom. In rural Manitoba, homeowners often must wait months for carpenters, plumbers and electricians to undertake projects, while computer technicians, machinists and steel workers in the city are treasured.

I see great value in offering Cooperative Vocational Education programs in our division, as well as throughout the city. These courses offer opportunities for students to explore or pursue viable, well-paying careers in their field of interest, while benefiting the employers in the area.

In Seven Oaks, I have been a strong advocate for quality programs in this area, and we have seen great success with the students who have been enrolled in our programs. One of the great advantages of the CVE program is that students who achieve their proper level in the trades courses may go directly into apprenticeships or jobs, while  others go directly into post secondary institutions such as RRCC, where they are able to “jump the queue” for enrolment.

We presently have seven CVE program in the division: Aviation Trades and Technology, Automotive Trades and Technology, Culinary Services, Early Childhood Educator, Health Care Aide, and Hospitality Services. Plumbing and Pipe Trades recently was added to the curriculum (2013).  These courses generally start in Grade 12 but some start at the end of Grade 11.  Students earn their high school credits, as well, for graduation.  They have a four or 5 week introductory course in the schools they attend and then have one day at school and 4 days in on the job training. Students suited for this approach to education generally are far more satisfied with the education program, and are much more likely to continue in school. This increased graduation rate benefits the student, student’s family, employers and community at large.

On September 12, 2014,  in the Woods Shop at Garden City Collegiate (largely due to the Seven Oaks board and superintendent’s lobbying efforts with MLA Dave Chomiak), the provincial government announced a  $4.6 million state of the art 7000 sq. ft. addition  and renovation to the  existing shop facilities at the school to be completed in the fall of 2016.  The new addition will house three new CVE programs: Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), Introduction to Building Trades and Electrical. Premier Greg Selinger, our Superintendent, Brian O’Leary, Education Minister James Allum, The Woods teacher, Michael Bilyk, the Principal of the School, Steve Medwick and 2 graduating students all spoke.

The two students who spoke are recent graduates from Garden City Collegiate.  Both took “Woods” from instructor, Michael Bilyk.  One graduate said that because of the course he took, he is now pursuing a career in Carpentry at Red River Community College.  The other indicated that he is registered at the University of Manitoba.  He said that, of all the courses he took in high school, he liked “Woods” the best because it was hands on and he could see the results of his efforts.  He also felt that, even if you do not pursue a career in the field, you learn life long skills that will put you in good stead.

Those comments echo the intent behind offering these courses. The CVE programs expand the choices for our high school students, optimizing their interests, passions and abilities. While the majority of enrolees do proceed into trades or such vocations, the hands-on experience allows them to make the choice to do so in a more informed manner. These courses are also available to graduate students, since many of our youth are not ready to choose a career path until after completing high school, and the option to explore a “soft” career plan suits those students.

CVE Programming recognizes that each student has unique skills and interests and that the marketplace has diverse demands on our graduates, which can best be met by a well-rounded, comprehensive education strategy. Fortunately for Seven Oaks students, our school division has been one of the leaders in offering such programs and I am eager to continue working to further enrich our course offerings in a fiscally responsible manner.

    

When I first became a school board member, I was fortunate to listen to a speaker that, paraphrased, said “ In a good school, if child is absent, he or she should be missed”. To me, the meaning is clear. We should not process youth in school  like products on an assembly line, losing contact with the individuality of that student. We should not push, cookie-cutter style, our young people through the education system as if they are all the same, and do not allow for the unique character strengths, interests and frailties of the person. We do not want a collage of graduates that are all oriented in the same direction, as if we are trying to teach snakes to fly, birds to burrow and rabbits to crawl. We should be recognizing the value in each child, finding innovative and effective ways to draw out that student’s enthusiasm for learning, and helping him or her shape his or her life in a creative and productive fashion, using the best resources that are available to us to accomplish that task. In a good school, the individual will never be lost, and immediately missed if he or she strays.

Those initial words that I heard many years ago continue to guide the decisions I make today. We need to ensure that every child is an important child with unique abilities and talents. I want to continue to find the best possible solutions for our community’s educational needs. This blog will feature my ideas and your ideas. I encourage your input.

 Email me directly at csarbit1@gmail.com or provide your feedback, ideas and comments directly in the comments section of this blog.