The Vancouver School Board is facing an $18.1 million budget shortfall for next year. (CBC)School districts across B.C. say they will have to lay off teachers and close schools to deal with looming budget deficits, despite a boost in funding announced by the provincial government earlier this week.

In Vancouver, the school board says an $18.1 million dollar funding shortfall will mean program cuts and an overhaul of the entire school calendar.

In the province's interior, Kamloops-Thompson School District trustees are warning of staff layoffs as they cope with a $2.4 million dollar shortfall.

'I think the public needs to clearly look beyond the spin.'—Surrey School Board chair Laurae McNally

And in Surrey, the province's largest school district, the projected shortfall is $12 million, despite the fact that the district is one of the few where the student population is growing.

The budget shortfalls come despite a announcement on Monday by the provincial government that it would earmark an addition $58 million to pay for a recent teacher's wage settlement, and $58 million to pay for all-day kindergarten, which is starting in some schools this fall.

Rising costs not covered

But the chair of the Surrey School Board Laurae McNally notes the province is not paying the increase to teacher pension plan contributions or their increased Medical Service Plan contributions, which will cost her board an estimated $4 million.

"I think the public needs to clearly look beyond the spin, and ask some hard questions of the provincial government," said McNally.

She also points out that despite the province also adding $110 million in funding for annual facilities grants this coming year, the ministry hasn't given Surrey any money for new schools, even though the district is expecting 1100 new students this year and the same again next year.

So instead, the district has ordered 20 portable classrooms at a cost of $2 million. And the district will then have to pay $600,000 in provincial penalties because those portables aren't energy efficient, she noted.

School boards are also facing higher costs for gasoline and electricity, and a new fee for tracking student performance, meaning the rising costs to the Surrey District far outpace any increases in provincial funding, McNally said.

"We have very, very little wiggle room in our budget, and so we are having to look at programs and services which directly affect the classroom," she said.

Vancouver expects program cuts

In Vancouver, where enrollment is actually declining, the school board says it is dealing with an even larger budget shortfall than it initially projected, and that that almost certainly will mean layoffs for teachers.

Despite the provincial promised increases, funding cuts in other areas have caused the VSB's deficit to balloon to $18.1 million, up from a projected $17.6 million.

The VSB's assistant secretary treasurer Rick Krowchuck told a meeting of the District Parent Advisory Council on Thursday evening that the board must deliver a balanced budget to the province by the end of April.

"As most of our expenditures are salary and benefits, the largest percentage of reduction will likely be in staff," said Krowchuck.

In January, 800 teachers with less than five years of seniority were sent letters advising them of possible layoffs next year.

Julianne Doctor, the chair of the PAC, said parents are worried that will impact the quality of their childrens' education.

"Parents told us very clearly they don't want to see any more cuts in support for the classroom teacher. They want to know that every kid in that class is being supported to the best of their ability," said Doctor.

Previously the school board has also said it may shorten the school year by 10 days to save money, and end half-day classes on Fridays, for which the board must pay teachers a full day's wage.

The board will hold a series of open houses to discuss its options next week.