PAC > Budget > 2007/2008 > Closure

Due to sd68 trustees electing to close Mount Benson Elementary School in June of 2008, Mount Benson PAC had to alter its budget and project schedule plan.

PAC Project/Finance Wrap up principals

The Mount Benson Elementary School PAC decided that even though the school would be closing, the closing should have as minimal an impact on projects which the PAC was engaged in. Insomuch as would be possible by the limited funds available to the PAC, they would endevour to ensure that projects were completed or continued as per the PAC's original intentions.

Any projects which could not be completed by the PAC needed to be managed by a group which was reputable and which would agree to terms provided by the PAC. Terms which would guarantee that either projects would be completed, or the money would be given to someone who would complete the project.

Projects With Committed Funding

Playground Fund 1

Several years ago the PAC put about $1,200 into a GIC. The PAC allocated this money towards future Playground improvements.

Bursary

The PAC had decided in 2006 prior that it was going to start saving for a fund so that in the event it could not, or did not, fundraise, a bursary was still available to its former students. At the start of the 2007 school year $7,000 was in this fund. This amount was insufficient to grow the fund while accounting for inflation.

Emergency Fund

For several years the PAC had been spending a couple of thousand dollars each year on emergency preparedness and equipment. After not spending money on the earthquake kiosk supplies for a couple of years $4,000 of the unspent monies was put into a GIC, with the intention that the interest would be used to buy supplies for the earthquake kiosk, with the principal being available to be spent in the event of an emergency.

Playground Fund 2

Playground funding had become a significant issue over the last few years and it was decided that the PAC would increase its efforts to save for playground improvments. By saving money for the playground, this would put the PAC in a position to apply for Playground grants which required PACs to supply money to match the grant. In 2006/2007, $5,000 of gaming money was put into a GIC to save for a playground upgrade.

Unfunded Projects PAC had Already Initiated

When it was announced that the school would be closing the PAC had several projects which they wanted to do, but for which they had not yet allocated funds. These projects were:

• Wellington Park Sign. Naming the fields "Dunsmuir & Diggle" after the company which provided the site for the first school.
• Wellington Elementary School History Interpretive Sign
• Jimmy Claxton and Multi-culturalism in BC/Wellington Interpretive sign

Unfunded Projects Driven by School Closure

With the announced closure, several new projects were spawned by the need to leave a postive and lasting memory of the school with the students, recieving schools and the neighbourhood.

• Additional Funds for bursary to ensure it is self-sustaining
• Tree for Pleasant Valley
• Tree for Coal Tyee
• Tree for Loudon Park
• Books for departing staff for Wellington Public Libraries Reference Section
• Departing gift to Mount Benson Students
• Gift to recieving schools PACs to offset cost of incoming students. (They will not get Direct Access funding)

Final PAC Project Funding

Unfortunately the PAC did not have enough money to complete all the projects it would have liked to have completed. Fortunately, with some adjustments, it had enough money to complete most of its projects, leaving only a few school property related projects for the neighbourhood to fund.

• Departing gift to Mount Benson Students ($550)
• Books for departing staff for Wellington Public Libraries Reference Section. ($400-$500)
• Gift to recieving schools PACs to offset cost of incoming students. (They will not get Direct Access funding)($4,500)
• "Mount Benson Elementary School PAC Legacy Bursary" to be established and managed by the Neighbourhood. ($7,000)
• $5,000 additional Funds for bursary to ensure it is self-sustaining. This increases the bursary fund initiating capital to to $12,000.
• Tree for Pleasant Valley (SD68) ($200-$300)
• Tree for Coal Tyee (SD68) ($200-300)
• Wellington Sports Park Sign. ($2,000)
• Tree for Loudon Park (City of Nanaimo-Wellington Neighbourhood) ($500)
• Neighbourhood playground and park fix-up. ($1,400)
• Neighbourhood Emergency Fund. ($4,000)
• Wellington Elementary School History Interpretive Sign ($5,000)

The following projects were cancelled and deferred to Wellington Neighbourhood groups to coordinate and implement with their other historical projects around the neighbourhood.

• Jimmy Claxton and Multi-culturalism in BC/Wellington Interpretive sign
• Playground Fund 2. Cancelled.