VSB chair fires back at education minister

Vancouver School Board chair Patti Bacchus says she's not worried about keeping her job in her high-profile budget dispute with B.C.'s education minister.

Bacchus says the provincial government is so unpopular that it can't afford to create more problems by firing her or other Vancouver school trustees.

"We would become the political martyrs and how would that look," Bacchus said Thursday in the latest volley over the VSB's multi-million-dollar budget deficit.

"We're very popular with our public. This is a provincial government -- you're all aware of where they sit in the polls. I don't know how that would go over with the public if they came in and tried to get rid of us."

Bacchus was responding after B.C. Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid ordered the VSB to submit a draft budget to her by June 18 for review, prior to any budget vote by the board.

The special directive issued by the minister on Thursday also instructs the board to direct its senior management team to develop a balanced budget that takes full consideration of recommendations in the comptroller general's recent report.

The budget must be drafted with best interests of students, student achievements and parents as paramount considerations, it said.

"As minister of education, I have a responsibility to ensure education dollars are being spent prudently and in the best interest of students," wrote MacDiarmid in her letter to Vancouver School Board chair Patti Bacchus.

"I am hopeful that this directive will allow all parties to now refocus their energy on meeting the needs of students," she wrote.

The directive follows a recent meeting between MacDiarmid and the trustees that both sides described as unproductive.

That meeting followed the release of the highly critical report by the province's comptroller general that blamed poor governance, a lack of strategic planning, and missed opportunities by the trustees for the school district's $18-million budget shortfall.

Bacchus has blamed rising costs and not enough funding from the provincial government for the shortfall.