A special meeting was needed so Langley School Board could approve its cost-cutting budget.

Trustees held first and second readings on the 2010/2011 budget bylaw, which includes $7 million in cuts, at Tuesday's regular monthly meeting, and had expected to give it third reading that evening.

But Trustee Rob McFarlane threw a wrench in the works, refusing to vote in favour of a motion to hold three readings in one meeting.

Such votes must be unanimous.

"We had a budget open house without a budget," he commented.

McFarlane said the public wasn't given time to look over it, and he wanted people to have time to review it before the board gave final approval.

Instead, the board voted to hold a special meeting less than 24 hours later.

The budget passed Wednesday evening with no discussion on its contents.

Trustee Alison McVeigh was irate at having to attend a special meeting, noting many had to change their plans to give the budget final approval.

"It was completely unnecessary," she said.

She noted that, between the Tuesday and Wednesday meetings, she didn't have a single person contact her looking for more details on the budget, and that what's contained in the budget has been released publicly in various forms throughout the process.

The $155-million budget is to educate the district's 18,316 full-time equivalent students (FTE). To balance the books, the district has cut 41 FTE teacher jobs (which according to the Langley Teachers' Association, amounts to more than 60 people's jobs). The cuts also include 5.27 FTE principals/vice principals, 26.46 FTE education assistants, 34.97 FTE support staff and 1.42 FTE other professionals.

The $7 million in cuts address the increased costs expected next year and an expected $5-million budget shortfall, but does not start to take a chunk out of the $13.5-million debt the district is facing.

The district has asked the Ministry of Education for permission to resolve that debt through 2015 by cutting $3.375 million in each of the upcoming four years.

Trustees also used the Wednesday meeting to approve a $215,474 capital plan bylaw for renovations needed for full-day kindergarten at its schools. The district plans to modify 13 classrooms at various sites.

At the suggestion of interim secretary-treasurer Dave Greenan, trustees passed the bylaw so it could be submitted to the Ministry of Education for funding, and to get the process swiftly underway.

According to a funding announcement from the province [New school promised for 2012, June 15, Langley Advance], school districts throughout B.C. can expect about $15,000 per classroom that requires changes. That should mean about $195,000 for Langley, with the district funding another $20,000.

Trustees then debated whether to send thank you letters to local MLAs and the ministry for the new school that was announced Monday, or to be less formal and just have the superintendent write the notes.