A handful of residents were in the public seating area Tuesday evening to hear secretary treasurer Kevin Futcher present SD27’s 2018-2019 preliminary budget.
The day before, the district invited the public to the meeting in light of the news the Board of Education is expecting a financial shortfall for the 2018-2019 school year of approximately $1.8 million.
According to the School District website, in past years the Ministry of Education has provided funding protection to school districts facing significant declines in enrolment, as enrolment is the basis for which the ministry funds school boards.
As a result, the Ministry has funded SD27 above what enrolment would have generated for the 2014-2015 school year by $3.3 million, however, this funding has been reduced on a yearly basis by approximately $800,000 per year.
Now, however, because of higher enrollment, the board is unlikely to qualify for funding protection in the 2018-2019 year, Futcher explained.
In the past, the Board has met the challenge by reducing departmental budgets, closing schools and programs and reducing staff. Increased enrolment, however, is expected to contribute to the elimination of funding protection, and as a result, will have to balance their budget using only generated funding.
As such, all stakeholders and members of the public are invited to provide input into the budget via a survey, which is available on the district’s website.
The deadline for input on the budget is May 18.
