Al4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April, 2004 Another dip PNews inbast in school © enrolments. predicted THE. SCHOOL district's student population.is set to take another dive,. dropping. : ‘below the. 6,000. ‘mark “by” this fail, Says: a senior offi- cial, Assistant superintendent: Rob- Greenwood's: projec-: tions call: fora ‘drop of 362. students from Sept,. 2003" Ss. level of 6,248," placing. the new total at 5, 886. That's a long. way. from . Sept. 1997 when the student - population ‘in’ “Kitimat, Ter-- “race, Kitwanga, ‘the’ Hazel- ° - tons and. Stewart. “stood . at 7,899) : Since then-a- ‘combing’, tion of a.pdor economy and changing. demographics. have cut: student numbers ‘and _budgets, resulting in school closures and. layoffs. So Terrace's school popilldtion has gone from 3,905. stud- eo =) ents. in 2000 10,3,369. last fall, a loss of.536 students, .°~! - od | “And there's ‘nothing to- indicate that is slowing down. | whatsoever,” Greenwood: said: . f “As a ‘percentage. of student “population,” the: lass’ to" Terrace won't be as- much as. “other places, Greenwood. projects.. . But ‘the riurnber’ itself will’ be higher’ simply. ‘because o , "Terrace, has ‘mote students. than any other. ‘Place’ in the.» school district.” >» - { “Terrace is’ losing: faster than any. other community, Greenwood Said! * The. freefall. in ‘student. population also affects. the school district’ s budget: because it Is ‘based. on. “enrolment.” HAS itis, declining enrolments: vare a key: reason’ the. ; ia - district has been struggling with a budget deficit: E Although ‘the:. ‘province anthounced: two- weeks azo : it was. increasing ‘the, amoiint.of money. per: student, it's: not. ~ enough-to make: up'for'the population. decline. <.. _ The loss. of 362 students will result in'a ‘nearly $2 mile lien: drop i in the ‘Coast. “Mountains school ‘district’ s annual: “operating: budget: next” year -, despite. a recent. boost’ to school: districts: from ‘the provincial. government... oe The education: ministry. ‘will increase the: ‘amount: of. _money-each ‘school - district“ receives. ‘Per Pupil by. $155 | next year to $5,520," 002: ' In School, District. 82, ‘that will: work ‘out to an esti. “mated operating ‘grant of $47, 659, 447: next year; ‘which i is ~ lower. than this” “year’s” final ; ‘Operating grant, which. Sits *. $47,884,887 because of: declining ‘enzolment. _ (An ‘unknow# portion: of ‘that. Operating ‘grant. includes , money..pay. fo Ww accounting. system | “GA or generally=nei ed: accounting principles: =" The education. ‘thinistry"s s_eslimale of 300 students by, September, which. is, 62 fewer stud” : ents than this” district i is now expecting:to lose, |” a ~ Just three ‘years: ago, the district had: 6, 820 0 stents and an r operating udeet of about $50 million. : - cent. “Rob Greenwood ~ a SPRING FLOODS ¢ are un: likely | this. year, “judging. : “Flooding: whet aie Je als. That’s : “Provirice: wide’ he poll. ‘puls: “th NDP. nartow y.. ahead with, 42, pe cent lo 39 percent for the ‘Liter: a, five-point’ gain forthe NDP, which. - drew support ‘from: both. ‘the Liberals and Greens.’ ~The NDP. lead -over the. Liberals was, wides 4 “10 points. —in the southern interior: <. _-Disapproval: of: premier Gordon Campbell, is. Tair~ dy consistent,~ 64° per- cent’ of ‘Voters’ said they | : strongly. or ‘moderately disapproved, of his: ‘perfor- omanee, 33.5% His “approval rating: ‘of 4 per: cenit. ‘ails James’ ‘ a7 per cent, approval rating. oe EE et -North i is still Liberal turf: THE ‘NORTH ‘is the: last region.in the: ‘province. still 1 backing the. B.C, Liberals. over the. NDP,. according loa new-Ipsos Reid polly oe “The: New: Democrats - under leader, ‘Carole. James J \are- how. ahead. in: all other areas of ‘the province “except: the lower mainland; where . they, are ‘tied | ‘with the Liberals it 41 oper “ean ‘support.’ eae ; “In the: nor th;-45 | per. cent of decided: voters’ ‘would: “back the ‘Liberals’ in. an ‘election’ today, ‘the poll _ found, versus 36, pers cent: for-the NDP, The: Green ‘Party. has. Al. “per cent, and: BCS Unity has. ix Per, ‘Health official hired: : ~ Searching for people oe >THE LOCAL: search: and. fescue group is ‘looking “f for: people to join.its- -fanks: : : Those participating. ean: learn: vinderweter diving, : . Swift: water rescue skills, ‘map: and ‘ompass read: : ‘ing... first-aid and: more: ‘ : a An. information session is plained foi ‘Apiil- 14: at” c 7 p.m,