Breana Malcolmson new Principal at the St. Paul Alternate Education Centre; SPERD Board sets 2022-23 Budget

St. Paul Education has announced a new principal at their schools.

Breana Malcolmson has been appointed as the new principal at the St. Paul Alternate Education Centre for the upcoming 2022-23 school year.

The announcement was made last Wednesday.

Malcolmson is currently the assistant principal at SPAEC.

She will fill the role currently held by Andrea Austin, who is moving on to be the principal at Racette School.

SPERD Board Approved 2022-23 Budget

The St. Paul Education Board of Trustees approved its 2022-23 budget on May 31, 2022. The $56,957,535 budget is projecting a $1,093,027 deficit to be offset by reserves.Board Chair, Heather Starosielski, stated that, as always, the Board priority is to our student and the Board is confident that it is doing the best it can with the available resources. The well-being of our students and families is important and next year we will have an added focus onstudent and staff mental health and wellness. The Division’s home schooling and distance
education options, developed during the pandemic, will be continuing through the Myrnam Outreach and Home Education Center (MOHC).

The budget requires several assumptions as it attempts to forecast future events. The budget assumes a return to normal pre-pandemic conditions and is projecting a decrease of 91 students resulting in some offsetting staffing adjustments. The Division is expecting some support to implement the new K-3 curriculum helping offset the cost of new resources and training. Some uncertainty remains around the cost of collective bargaining between teachers and the Province.

As Provincial funding has for the most part been frozen for the last three years, inflation has chipped away and is increasing expenses. Transportation has seen a 4.6% increase in provincial funding, however extreme increases to insurance, fuel and equipment costs mean that this is not sufficient to cover rising costs. As a result, the Division has no choice but to follow the lead of many other districts and implement a base transportation fee for all riders.

Effective September 1, 2022, all riders will be charged a $50 base fee with a maximum of $150 per family. Even with the new fees, transportation is still expected to run a deficit. A similar fee had been contemplated for several years and was always rejected, however this year there was
little choice if buses are to remain in service.

Secretary-Treasurer Jean Champagne indicated that the Division continues to work towards a balanced budget and that while the projected deficit is manageable, shrinking reserves and shortfalls in areas such as instruction and transportation, along with a gradual enrollment decline, remain issues that are in need of longer term solutions.

A copy of the budget is available on the Division website.