BC Independent Schools Save Gov’t $51M per Year: Report

School children in a classroom, in a file photo on Nov. 27, 2019. (Danny Lawson/PA Wire)

Independent schools in British Columbia save taxpayers at least $51 million each year, according to estimates from a newly released report.

The Fraser Institute report notes that it costs the government an average of $14,601 per student to attend public school, while the average per-student cost to attend an independent school was $8,685.

“In other words, the B.C. government saves $5,916 on average for every student who attends independent school rather than government public school,” said a release on the findings.

Independent schools in B.C. follow the provincial curriculum but may also offer programs based on culture or religion or an alternative style of education, such as Montessori. The schools receive up to 50 percent of their operational costs from the government, with tuition provides the remaining funds.

“Some people claim that BC’s funding for independent schools take resources away from government public schools, but in fact, funding independent schools actually reduces the strain on government finances, saving taxpayers money,” said Paige MacPherson, associate director of education policy at the Fraser Institute, and co-author of the report.

The report’s authors examined the cost to the government if students were to move from independent schools to public schools. If 10 percent of independent students moved into the public school system, the province would need to increase spending by $51.6 million a year, they wrote.

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If 25 percent of independent school students transferred to the public system, the government would need to increase spending by $129.1 million a year. The authors said that if half of independent school students were to move to public schools, it would cost an additional $258.2 million a year.

The authors say that the number of students in B.C. who attend independent schools increased to 13.2 percent between 2012/13 to 2022/23. In that same time, the number of students at public schools dropped by 1.7 percent.

“As of 2022, BC’s share of independent school enrolment is the highest of any province,” said the report.

The authors also found that the average family income for students who attend independent schools is on par with families who send their children to public schools.

“Government public school isn’t the right fit for every child, and BC’s school choice policies make independent schools affordable for many middle-income families,” Ms. MacPherson said.

“If funding for independent schools was taken away, many families would have no choice but to migrate to the government school system, limiting school choice for parents and increasing costs for taxpayers.”