Okanagan College passed its $126.8-million, 2020-21 budget — but the school’s board noted the possibility of change in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The budget was passed on March 31, as the board met through an online video conference rather than meeting in person.
“The very nature of the meeting drove home the fact that circumstances are changing rapidly. We fully recognize the budget was passed as a starting place while the uncertainty associated with the pandemic resolves itself,” explained president Jim Hamilton.
The budget was created before the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a pandemic and before the college — following suit with several other post-secondary institutions — decided to close its doors to in-person classes.
“In the last three weeks things have changed dramatically and we cannot precisely forecast how these changed circumstances will affect our operations, especially revenue and expenses,” notes Curtis Morcom, Okanagan College’s vice president of employee and corporate services. “There are uncertainties about how long the current situation will last and about what it will do to enrolments or costs. We have been and will be monitoring the impact on operations and will be adjusting expenditures accordingly.”
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