VICTORIA— New Democrat spokesperson for education Rob Fleming released the following statement on the $27 million budget shortfall that the Vancouver School Board is facing:

“The $27 million shortfall to the Vancouver School Board budget is just another example of the systemic underfunding that school boards across British Columbia are facing from the Christy Clark government.

“Whether it’s 240 schools closed in B.C. communities, ten year delays in seismic upgrades, causing the longest school strike in B.C. history, or the tens of millions of dollars in downloaded costs onto school boards causing these kinds of classroom funding shortages, the Christy Clark government proves time and again that education is at the bottom of their priority list.

“Christy Clark gave a $230 million tax break to millionaires in her budget and then targeted $54 million in cuts to public education. Under the B.C. Liberals, British Columbia has gone from the second best funded education system in the country to the second worst. The Christy Clark government is clearly not there for B.C. families and the public education system. B.C. students and parents deserve better.