“We remained hopeful for a more significant investment in education and are once again faced with funding that recognizes enrolment increases but does not cover our current operating or inflationary costs. For the first time Preventative Maintenance and Renewal (PMR) funding was not increased, which negatively impacts our ability to upkeep our aging facilities and learning environments,” said Janet Kotylak, Prairie Valley Board of Education. “However, our provincial government has been facing its own challenges with the pandemic, and we appreciate the continued funding over the past 4 months which allowed us to retain all staff.”
For Prairie Valley School Division, 2020-2021 operating grants will be $93.7M, an increase of $2.3M or 2.6 per cent over the 2019-2020 budget, the majority of which was allocated to fund the recently ratified teacher collective agreement and other staff contractual obligations. While senior administration was able to find several internal efficiencies resulting in minimal impact in the classroom, the net result is a cash budget shortfall.
“We have been doing more with less for many years. Continued reductions are not sustainable as they further erode classroom supports directly impacting students,” Kotylak said. “While the Board approved a difficult budget this year, we were able to preserve high-quality programming, expand French immersion in two schools, and provide additional staff to support student mental health.”
Prairie Valley, like other school divisions, continues to respond to the current pandemic with operational uncertainty for the upcoming school year. We have achieved a level of technology support for students that will prove beneficial should distance learning be required.
“I am extremely proud of what this school division has been able to accomplish. We maintained quality education during a global pandemic, and while we face some difficult budget decisions, we are committed to doing what is best for students,” said Luc Lerminiaux, Director of Education. “As always, we remain focused on the health and safety of our students and staff.”
Overall, Prairie Valley’s 2020-2021 budget requires $1M from operating reserves to balance on a cash basis, with an operating deficit of $5.3M due to the amortization of capital assets.
- Media Release
