Holy Trinity and Prairie South school divisions are revising their 2023-24 budgets after the Ministry of Education provided an unexpected funding boost to address enrolment increases and “classroom complexity.”
The ministry announced on June 1 that it would provide an additional $40 million for the province’s 27 school divisions. Half the money will become available in the fall once the province collects and verifies actual enrolment numbers, while the other half will help divisions hire more teachers and support staff and address non-staff support.
Catholic division
Ward Strueby, director of education for Holy Trinity Catholic, said in an email that school divisions are interpreting the enrolment-related funding as being unconditional and without strings attached. However, the ministry wants divisions to submit a plan outlining how they will use the other money to improve the classroom environment.
“This is interpreted to be conditional funding,” he said.
The ministry gave Holy Trinity $494,166 in total funding, including $285,960 for enrolment growth and $208,206 to address classroom complexity. This is an operating increase of 1.9 per cent.
Ward pointed out that this money represents 1.24 per cent of the entire $40 million total. Meanwhile, Holy Trinity expects to have 1.23 per cent of the total provincial student population this fall, with the province expecting around 183,000 students to register province-wide by September.
Holy Trinity’s 2023-24 budget was based on a projected enrolment of 2,346 students, but as of May 31, the division had 2,400 student registrations for next year, he continued. This number exceeds the projection by 54 students or 2.3 per cent.
“The board will be provided with a revised budget for approval at its June 19 meeting that incorporates the additional funding … ,” Ward added.
Public division
Prairie South School Division is receiving $705,363 to hire more classroom teachers and support staff and $275,760 for estimated enrolment growth. The total is $981,123, representing a 1.2 per cent funding increase.
“We’re happy about (the extra funding),” education director Ryan Boughen told the Express. “… if we get the increased student population, we get the funding, but if we don’t, then the funding is conditional, as it’s attached to that increased population.”
Boughen noted that “it’s not the best” to receive this funding after the province released its budget in March and after the board approved its budget last month.
“So now we have to go back into our budget and re-build it, so better for us to get it right away than to get it now,” he added. “(But) better to get it now than not at all.”
