SPERD approves 2019-2020 budget with over $1.1 million deficit

The St. Paul Education Regional Division No. 1 Board of Trustees approved its 2019-20 budget projecting a roughly $1.2 million deficit at a meeting held June 26, 2019.

The almost $57 million budget is based on the enrolment of 3,748 students.

The projected deficit is in addition to approximately $1,000,000 in expense reductions.

Given that 78 per cent of the expenses is tied to salaries and benefits, the cuts were mostly achieved through division-wide staff reductions, SPERD said in a press release.

Secretary-Treasurer Jean Champagne indicated that the projected deficit will be offset by reserves.

He added that this year’s budget is a little more uncertain as the provincial budget confirming funding will not be released until the fall.

As a result, the Division has had to make additional assumptions on programs, specialized grants and funding rates, SPERD said.

They are assuming that grants will remain frozen and that the Classroom Improvement Funding (CIF) program will not be renewed.

The Division though is expecting the Nutrition Program, Innovation in First Nations Education and School Fee Reduction funding to continue.

If the Division’s assumptions on provincial funding are wrong, it could be in the difficult position of adjusting services mid-year which is difficult and disruptive to staff and students.

Board Chair, Heather Starosielski, stated the Division had little choice but to reduce expenses in light of dwindling revenues and increasing costs.

It was pointed out that class sizes remain among the lowest in the province and the Board continues to emphasize having teachers there for students.

If new centrally negotiated items are ultimately not supported with additional funding, moving to a provincial cost structure will also mean having to adjust class sizes closer to provincial averages, which could affect programming.

Superintendent Glen Brodziak stated that while the needs are always greater than the resources, the achievement and well-being of our students and families is always first and foremost.

The $56,751,816 budget is projecting a $1,183,498 deficit.