Money, Money, Money!!!

How are schools funded?  That is a good question and it seems it varies quite a bit.  I think that is the most surprising part of my learning about the financial side of education, that there is so much variance between schools, provinces, and even districts.  I was under the mistaken assumption that our education system was more consistent from one school etc. to another. I did not realize that the area and the value of the land in that area plays a huge role in the amount of funding the province gives a school.  In a nutshell if the school is in an area with high taxes then the province does not contribute as much funding. Local taxes are taken in to account and then the province will decide how much they need to contribute to each school.  I was also not aware that the per pupil amount was more for rural schools but that makes sense so that they can accommodate for there smaller class sizes.
This is important information for me to know as an upcoming teacher as I will need to be aware of the funding available because it obviously affects many things.  Funding for programs, extracurricular activities, salaries, etc.  If the money is not there then things will get cut.   It is also important for me to know when I go to work at a school what funding they have.  Are they a "high risk" school and have extra funding to help families cope with various issues?  Are they in a low property tax area and rely heavily on government funds to pay for teachers salaries and the programs they offer?  These are all important questions to ask and be somewhat aware.  I think that in order to be a contributing member of a team you need to know how the team operates.  For this reason I see it as important to know where the funding is coming from and how much is being given when I work at a school.  As well as where the money is being spent.  I have worked as a daycare director and I have been responsible for a budget.  Every once and a while you will get a staff member that thinks that the money is never ending and until you make them aware or give them their own budget to work within the requests for funds never stops.  I believe to be a professional teacher and contributing member I need to be aware of all aspects of my position, the team I work with,  the school district, and community I work within.