“It does provide predictability for students, family and staff. But, we still have quite a ways to go to reach what we would call a sustainable student-staff complement.”
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Despite some targeted funding from the province, Regina Public Schools (RPS) says its 2024-25 budget will not return to the level of funding seen prior to massive provincial cuts in 2016.
Naomi Mellor, chief financial officer for the Regina public school division, called this year’s submission “a largely status-quo budget” in her presentation to board trustees last week.
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“It does provide predictability for students, family and staff,” she said. “But, we still have quite a ways to go to reach what we would call a sustainable student-staff complement.”
Mellor called funding over the last eight years “pretty stagnant,” but added that the Ministry of Education’s budget this year is a “step in the right direction.”
The ministry is to contribute a total of $2.2 billion in operational funding across all 27 Saskatchewan school divisions this year, an increase of $180 million (or 8.8 per cent) from last year. Of that, $58 million is tied specifically to enrolment grants similar to those promised during recent contract bargaining with Saskatchewan teachers.
Funding provisions this year mean a small bump to per-student funding, which Mellor said is “an encouraging trend but still short, well short, from where that number would be.”
Per-student funding at Regina Public will be $10,173 in 2024-25. Mellor said if funding had kept pace with inflation since 2016, the adjusted figure would’ve been $12,159.
Regina Public’s report said the lag has “necessitated staffing and budget decisions” that have led to higher student-teacher ratios, longer wait times for special programs and infrastructure backlogs.
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Enrolment still rising in Sask.
Provincial enrolment overall is expected to grow by another 2,950 students in the fall, or about 1.6 per cent.
Regina Public says its student volumes have grown 16 per cent since 2015, with another 625 expected by this fall for a total of 26,711 projected students in 2024-25.
Regina Catholic anticipates 12,973 full-time students.
Regina Public plans to increase staffing by 38 full-time equivalent positions, including 33 more teaching staff and additional teaching assistants.
“We are cognizant that this is still additional, conditional funding that we get on top of our operating grant, so we’ve been a bit hesitant to incorporate that … as the funding may not be ongoing,” Mellor said.
As has been the norm, funding will be adjusted after Sept. 30 to match actual enrolment, followed by another potential adjustment on Feb. 1. It will be the second year this formula is employed after three divisions asked the ministry last spring to add a mid-year adjustment to address continual enrolment growth.
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Operating pressures continue
Regina Public will receive an increase of $24.3 million in operating funds next year, or 8.7 per cent more than 2023-24. Of that, $7.2 million will come from conditional grants for enrolment and classroom supports.
Regina Catholic expects $7.38 million in additional funding, a 5.8 per cent increase.
Though grants are increasing, expenses at both divisions are also up from last school year — 10 per cent for Regina Catholic and approximately six per cent for Regina Public.
Inflation continues to impact fuel prices, utility rates and construction costs, said the report, plus the additional expenditure for respective shares of this fall’s school board election — $290,000 for Regina Public and $171,000 for Regina Catholic.
Regina Public has also allocated $10.4 million as an estimated cost of the teachers’ collective agreement, once settled, for salary adjustments. Regina Catholic has tallied $5.4 million for salary changes.
An operating deficit of $709,00 is anticipated by the public division, to be covered by reserve funds, while the Catholic division is planning for a deficit of $1.5 million to be mitigated by conditional grants.
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Noon-hour supervision fees introduced last year to alleviate deficit pressures will remain, and a plan to consolidate some bus routes will trim transportation costs.
Capital spending for joint-use schools
Regina Public has set aside $30 million for infrastructure spending, including new and ongoing capital projects and maintenance work, while Regina Catholic has outlined $32 million.
Both divisions have the go-ahead to begin planning two new joint-use schools in the southeast, one elementary and one high school.
Work will continue on the in-progress Harbour Landing West joint-use school and Regina North joint-use school, the latter of which has been named by both divisions. Foundation repairs at Campbell Collegiate will also move ahead in the fall.
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