'An issue of fairness': Prairie Spirit school division says funding not keeping up with costs
The school division that serves students in 28 communities surrounding Saskatoon says it will struggle to cover inflationary costs such as gas in the coming school year.
The Prairie Spirt School Division's board approved its 2022-23 budget on Monday.
Like other school divisions in the province, balancing the books for the upcoming school year proved to be challenging.
While it received a roughly two per cent increase in provincial funding, the extra money will cover a provincially-negotiated two per cent salary increase for teachers.
"(It) will not fully cover other inflationary costs like gas, support staff salaries and utilities. In total, approximately 70 per cent of Prairie Spirit’s budget is dedicated to instruction," the division said in a news release.
The division will dip into its financial reserves to help offset its costs.
“We are concerned about sustainability because we’re using reserves to balance the budget,” board chair Bernie Howe said in the news release.
“We know our students will need ongoing, additional supports following the pandemic.”
The division says over the past decade, it has made "significant budget reductions in response to provincial funding levels, despite increasing enrolments."
The division expects 11,929 students to attend its schools in the upcoming school year, an increase of an estimated 150 students over last year.
Prairie Spirit's director of education said there will be no division-wide staff cuts, though there may be "usual" adjustments based on enrolment.
“This is an issue of fairness, as Prairie Spirit is not receiving the provincial funding needed to fully fund the teacher preparation time in the contract,” Bazylak said.
On behalf of the board, Howe expressed appreciation for provincial funding for "crucial renovation and repair projects" and funding for a new school in Blaine Lake, set to open in 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.