Trustees with Holy Trinity Catholic School Division are worried that a decrease in students this year could affect how much grant funding the Ministry of Education provides.
Division administration had projected that 2,342 students would enrol for the 2021-22 school year. However, as of Sept. 30, there were 2,274 youths in Holy Trinity, a difference of 68.
All Saints Catholic School in Swift Current saw the sharpest decline, with 27 fewer youths than expected. The next decrease was 18 fewer students at St. Agnes School, 18 fewer students at Vanier Collegiate, 17 fewer youths at St. Margaret School, eight fewer students at Sacred Heart School, five fewer students at Christ the King School in Shaunavon and one fewer youth at St. Mary School.
St. Michael School did not see any change, while there were 18 more home-school students, eight more youths at Phoenix Academy, and 14 students learning through Regina Catholic’s online school program.
Holy Trinity trustees raised concerns about receiving less funding during their online October board meeting as part of their annual discussion about education with the four area MLAs.
The four men include MLA Greg Lawrence with Moose Jaw Wakamow, MLA Tim McLeod with Moose Jaw North, MLA Everett Hindley in Swift Current and MLA Doug Steele from Shaunavon. Hindley is also the minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Remote Health.
Trustee Stephanie Nelson asked the MLAs if they had any knowledge about the ministry’s adjustment plans to increase or decrease funding in November based on final enrolment numbers. This was important, she noted, so that Holy Trinity can properly provide resources for its students.
Following the advice of local medical health officers, Holy Trinity implemented a mask mandate in September, she continued. However, this caused many parents to pull their kids and send them to Prairie South and Chinook school divisions before those organizations implemented mask mandates.
“We have discussed this concern with the deputy minister, and we ask for your support to ensure funding is not reduced for us later this year,” added Nelson.
The ministry has not finalized enrolment numbers, while some decisions must still be made about funding, but what will happen is not yet known, said Hindley. Meanwhile, Nelson made a valid point because the pandemic has influenced enrolments during the last few school years, the decisions that school divisions have had to make, and more parents are choosing online schooling for their children.
“It’s really thrown a wrench into how the Ministry of Education calculates that funding,” he added. “I don’t envy Minister (Dustin) Duncan and the position he is in right now. (But) we will deliver that message to the minister … .”
Board chair Joann Blazieko added that with the mask mandate, many parents thought forcing children to wear face coverings would affect their mental health. Conversely, Holy Trinity thought implementing masks would keep people safe.
“Hopefully … we will not see any funding adjustments with respect to enrolment being below projection,” Curt Van Parys, chief financial officer, said later in the meeting.
Besides the masks, there are other reasons why fewer students could be attending this year, he continued. These include fewer WHL players attending high schools, immigration to other school divisions, fewer kindergarten and French immersion students and changes to an administrative procedure dealing with the acceptance of students.
Van Parys then presented a report looking at enrolment data back to the 2015-16 school year. The data for actual versus projected enrolment and the difference showed:
- 2021-22: 2,274 / 2,342 / minus-68
- 2020-21: 2,301 / 2,401 / minus-100
- 2019-20: 2,399 / 2,379 / plus-20
- 2018-19: 2,321 / 2,196 / plus-125
- 2017-18: 2,248 / 2,160 / plus-88
- 2016-17: 2,186 / 2,138 / plus-48
- 2015-16: 2,133 / 2,313 / minus-180
The next Holy Trinity board meeting is Monday, Nov. 8.
