Surrey Schools adds support staff and mental health services as district tries to recover from years of cuts

Surrey Schools says it is making targeted new investments in student supports after several years marked by budget strain, service reductions and staffing cuts. The district’s newly approved 2026–27 budget is about $1.2 billion and includes new spending aimed at students with the highest needs, while trustees say they are still contending with financial pressures that have not fully gone away.

District adding support workers and expanding services

Among the biggest changes in next year’s budget is the hiring of 40 inclusive educational support workers. Surrey Board of Education trustee Terry Allen said the district is directing funding toward students who need it most, and Surrey Schools also says it is expanding mental health and support services to 14 of its 21 high schools.

The district says the budget is balanced despite an expected operating shortfall of about $3.8 million, with trustees planning to offset that gap using surplus and remaining funds from the current year. Reporting on the board decision also says the capital budget projects a surplus tied in part to funding for future land acquisitions.

Cuts from previous years still loom over the budget

The new investments come after a difficult period for the district. Last year, Surrey Schools faced a deficit of nearly $16 million and made a series of cuts, including changes affecting student programs, transportation and support staffing. That recent history continues to shape how parents and advocates are viewing the new budget.

Some parent representatives say the new staffing is welcome, but does not fully replace what was lost. According to reporting on the board meeting, Surrey District Parent Advisory Council president Anne Whitmore said the addition of 40 inclusive educational support workers still falls short of the 52 positions cut the previous year.

Declining enrolment remains a major risk

Surrey trustees say one of the biggest threats to future budgets is falling enrolment. Reporting on the approved budget says the district expects enrolment to drop by about 900 students next year and by roughly another 1,000 by 2028, a trend Allen linked to federal immigration policy changes.

That matters because provincial funding is largely allocated on a per-student basis. Surrey Schools has already warned in its budget communications that enrolment, inflation, provincial constraints and contractual costs remain key financial pressures as the district plans future budgets.

Funding debate with the province continues

The provincial government says Surrey has received more than $1 billion in operating and special grants this school year, more than any other district in B.C., and that local trustees are responsible for deciding how those funds are allocated. Surrey trustees, meanwhile, argue that the province’s funding model does not adequately account for inflation and the scale of running such a large district.

For now, Surrey Schools is presenting the 2026–27 budget as a step toward restoring services and stabilizing the district after years of financial strain. But with enrolment expected to keep falling, the debate over whether the district has enough money to meet student needs is far from over.