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VERNON, B.C. It may be back to school for the children, but some special education services wont be there to help the students most in need in the Vernon school district.

There are many ways the board could avoid the cuts, CUPE Local 523 president John Hegler said. These include a serious reconsideration of the $420,000 earmarked for salaries that are not reflected in the preliminary budget.

We are concerned that the board has made cuts to special education services and staff while protecting administration costs, he added.

Hegler and other CUPE officials will be at the board meeting to show where the budgeting process is flawed and to help find the money to stop the cuts.

Parents, students, teachers, support workers and community groups strongly objected to the boards decision to cut the services last spring. Now they want those jobs and services restored.

We have done extensive research on the budgeting practices that led to the decision to cut the services, Helger said. But so far the board has refused to acknowledge the flaws we revealed.

The school board meets Sept. 11, at 7 p.m.

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Contact:
John Hegler, CUPE Local 5523 President, 250-308-8360 cell.