Another round of cuts to school services could happen in Vancouver.

With a projected funding shortfall of $15 million for school year 2017-2018, the budget crisis is far from over.

For school year 2016-2017, the district cut $21.8 million in administration, education, and maintenance services to achieve a balanced budget required by provincial legislation.

As members of the school board meet on Monday (September 26) to decide which schools will be considered for closure, one trustee acknowledges that there are no easy options.

“We’re in a very, very difficult situation,” Fraser Ballantyne told the Straight in a phone interview.

In June, the board released a preliminary list of 12 elementary and secondary schools that may be closed.

School closures are part of the long-range facilities plan approved by trustees in March this year to fill up to 95 percent of the district’s seats for students.

With a total of 110 schools, Vancouver has spaces for 59,585 students. However, only 50,387 are used, an average utilization rate of 85 percent.

The long-range plan calls for the closure of up to 21 schools by 2030.

On Wednesday (September 21), Education Minister Mike Bernier announced that the province is relaxing its guideline that school districts have to be 95 percent full.

That may have a bearing into how Vancouver trustees will decide on school closures.

In a meeting on September 15, trustees moved to exclude Britannia secondary school from the list, leaving 11 schools that may be considered for closure.

Closing Britannia could save the district $2.4 million in operating costs per year.

Ballantyne said that while he understands the reason behind saving Britannia, which is to protect its vulnerable students, particularly those of aboriginal descent, the cost of keeping it open would have to come from slashing services elsewhere.

“I’m in a real quandary, to be quite honest,” Ballantyne said.

According to Ballantyne, the district is already operating on a bare-bones budget.

Community consultations will be held in the fall regarding schools that will be considered for closure. The earliest time that schools would be closed is June 2017.