Lester B. Pearson School Board spares some librarian jobs

The Lester B. Pearson school board won't be losing all of its librarians this year after all.

The board was able to absorb some of the $13.5 million shortfall in provincial funding by reducing head office staff.

The board said it was also able to retain its special needs program by reallocating funds.

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The English-language board, one of Quebec's largest school boards,approved its$276 million 2015-2016budget earlier this week. The Ministry of Education has allowed it to declare adeficit of more than $1.6 million.The school board is using accumulated surpluses to balance the books.

Board chairwomanSuanneStein Day said commissionershad to get creative when it came to dealing with this school year's budget.

"There were some tough decisions and some tradeoffs to make," she said.

All 18 librarians working for the board received layoff notices earlier this year.

"We were able to bring back some of the librarians," Stein Day said.

"We were able to ensure that every elementary school library will have a professional documentation technician there to support the activities of that library."

Stein Day said they also had to figure out how to make up for a $3-millionreduction in subsidies, mainly to grants for students with special needs.

The board reallocated money to maintain the $10.5 million budget for itsspecial-needs program.

Stein Day said the boardisalso ready to defend the hiring of two or three more aides,if necessary.

The school board's expenses most of which are tied up salaries have been rising more quickly than its revenues, which come from Quebec's education ministry.

Last spring, it launched a consultationprocess to embark on a"major school change"toaddress thebudget shortfall.

It has cut nearly15 positions in itshead office through attrition. Stein Day said it hasn'truled outclosing schools if need be.