Moose Jaw’s Catholic school division projects that student enrolment will increase by 1.4 per cent next year, something the director of education says is positive.
As of Sept. 30, 2019, the Holy Trinity Catholic School Division had 2,399 students attending its nine schools throughout west-central Saskatchewan. The division expects that number to increase by 33 pupils to 2,432 for the 2020-21 school year, according to a recent board of education report.
“It’s a good news story. Our division has seen a steady increase in terms of student population over the last handful of years,” said education director Sean Chase. “In our world of education … there are people out there who are choosing a faith-based education and obviously, it’s a stamp of approval for our staff for the good things that are going on in our schools.”
The division has asked the Ministry of Education for two extra relocatable classrooms (portables) for a school in Swift Current since space there is tight, he continued. The building is at 123-per-cent capacity with its student population; if 15 more students enrol there, that would put more pressure on the school to accommodate those youths.
The provincial budget is to be unveiled on March 18, which is when Holy Trinity hopes to learn that its request for extra portables is approved.
Moose Jaw schools
The following data indicate the student population of Moose Jaw schools as of Sept. 30, 2019, and the projection for next year:
- Vanier Collegiate: 406/430
- St. Michael School: 310/330
- St. Mary School: 146/141
- St. Margaret School: 239/207
- St. Agnes School: 327/354
- Sacred Heart School: 266/275
- Phoenix Academy: 90/95
Future concerns
While enrolment has grown by 150 students since Sept. 30, 2017 — or 6.3 per cent — infrastructure has continued to age and has required repairs, the report said. The division has not recovered from funding cuts that the provincial government initiated in 2017. This year’s school division budget included accessing reserve funding, which “cannot continue as time is required to replenish the reserves used for capital purchases.”
In preparing for the 2020-21 budget, the division believes its finances will be based on a zero-percentage increase in funding received in this fiscal year, or could be unless the ministry advises otherwise, the report continued.
While all salary lines have been adjusted to reflect changes in staffing levels and increment increases, other salary-related employer costs — such as CPP, EI, WCB, benefits — are expected to increase next year by $100,000. Due to the uncertainty of provincial bargaining, teacher increments are likely to increase by $150,000.
The average cost of a teacher in Holy Trinity is $90,000.
Historic staffing levels have been based on a pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) of 20:1 for kindergarten to Grade 3 and 25:1 for grades 4 to 12, the report said. An alternate PTR model was presented to board trustees to consider in the budgetary process that would align the organization with other school divisions.
That particular model proposes changing the PTR levels to 22:1 for kindergarten to Grade 3 classes, 26:1 for grades 4 to 6 and 27:1 for grades 7 to 8.
The next Holy Trinity board of education meeting is March 16.
