Saskatoon Public Schools slashes teacher jobs, adds $100 lunch fee

The city's public school board is cutting teaching positions as it deals with a budget shortfall.

"Just like a household, our fuel costs are going up, our insurance and utility bills are increasing, and we have critical repairs to make," Saskatoon Board of Education chair Colleen MacPherson said in a news release.

"We expect to welcome another 300 students this fall but we are not being funded to support the diverse needs of all our learners."

The board says a 2.1 per cent increase of $5.2 million in provincial funding will cover the provincial negotiated salary increase for teachers.

However, rising costs for employee benefits, transportation and inflation have resulted in a $4.5 million shortfall, according to the board.

“Adequately funding education is more than covering a salary increase for teachers,” MacPherson said.

The board-approved operating budget cuts 12 full-time elementary teaching positions and seven full-time secondary school teaching positions.

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Other cuts to Saskatoon Public Schools staffing will include a full-time elementary English as an additional language (EAL) teacher, an educational psychologist and a full-time elementary resource teacher.

The board said all affected staff will be moved into other positions or allowed to finish their contract.

To help address the shortfall, the board also approved the introduction of a $100 fee for families if their child stays for lunch, up to a maximum of $200 per family.

The addition of the fee will reduce supervision costs by $500,000, according to the board.

“Instruction and facilities make up 90 per cent of our operating budget,” MacPherson said.

In an interview with CTV News on Wednesday, MacPherson called the level of funding "death by a thousand cuts."

"We're facing these pressures across the division and they are not being recognized in our operating funding and as a result we continue to have to trim our operation, try and amalgamate, find efficiencies across the division, and every year it gets harder and harder," MacPherson said.

"We're picking at bones that are already bare."

In a statement, the Ministry of Education said once all school division budgets are received the ministry will work with school divisions in reviewing expenses and monitoring the impact of proposed changes.

School divisions have until June 30 to submit budgets, the ministry said.

Saskatoon Teachers' Federation president Patrick Maze said when educators are cut it leads to larger class sizes and greater challenges for students.

"I think parents and the public should be demanding better support from the government to education," Maze said.

"I just keep coming back to that old FRAM oil filter commercial where the mechanic says you can pay me now or you can pay me later — Saskatchewan is going to have to pay at some point for the damage that it's inflicting on the education system."