Local school board chair Larry Hayes wants Education Minister George Abbott to visit Burnaby to get a sense of how needy the school district is.
"Let's get out on the streets of Burnaby and see what's really going on," Hayes said in his latest public address.
Hayes' invitation was made in response to some of Abbott's statements on why Burnaby gets the lowest per pupil funding in the province.
According to the district, Burnaby gets $7,565 for each student, when additional funding for things like special needs and aboriginal students is factored in, while the provincial average is $8,472.
"(Abbott) made a number of outlandish comments to the local media that had many of us scratching our heads in disbelief," Hayes said. "Burnaby gets the lowest per-student funding in the province, and it's not because we have the least need, as Minister Abbott contests."
According to Hayes, more than 4,700 local students are learning English as a second language, which is twice the provincial average and 20 per cent of the district's student population. Burnaby also has a high number of refugee students with complex needs.
"Recent statistics show that Burnaby has the second highest rate of child poverty in the Metro Vancouver area and the third highest in the province," Hayes added. "Enough for you, Mr. Minister?"
The province funds a base per-pupil amount for all students in B.C., but districts get extra money to help pay for things like support for students with special needs or English language learners.
In an emailed statement to the NOW, Abbott said that funding for Burnaby has increased significantly over the past 10 years.
"When comparing Burnaby to other districts, it's important to remember that all districts receive the same basic per student amount as well as supplemental amounts based on a number of factors. As an urban district with comparatively less special needs enrolment, Burnaby receives less supplemental funding than other districts and accordingly receives a lower average per pupil amount."
According to Abbott, average base per-pupil funding has increased by more than 30 per cent from $5,854 in 2000/01 to $7,676 in 2011/12, and operating funding in Burnaby has gone from $140.8 million in 2000/01 to an estimated $192.8 million in 2011/12, an increase of nearly $52 million - or nearly 37 per cent.
"In 2011/12, the Burnaby school district received $6.3 million in supplemental funding for English language learning stu-dents - this is more than Coquitlam, North Vancouver and New Westminster school districts," he said.
The Education Ministry recently introduced changes to the funding formula that will benefit Burnaby and provide an additional $240,000 in transportation funding phased in over the next three years and $429,000 in a vulnerable student supplement over the next two years, Abbott added.
"I applaud the board of education and the teachers and staff of the Burnaby school district for their ongoing hard work on behalf of the students of Burnaby," he said.
Abbott said he plans to visit Burnaby on April 2 for the official opening of the Burnaby Central Secondary.
"I look forward to this opportunity to meet with the board of education, teachers, students and staff to discuss how we can work together to improve our education system and provide the students of Burnaby with the best education possible," he said.
