More funding is on the way for school divisions, which is part of the Government of Saskatchewan’s Safe Schools Plan.There has been $37.5 million approved for emergent, one-time expenses to help keep staff and students safe in schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is in addition to the $51 million in funding that was announced in September.
“Our more than $37 million funding commitment, which is in addition to the $51 million we approved in the fall, will provide divisions with the resources necessary to keep our schools safe,” Education Minister Dustin Duncan said. “This funding will provide for additional cleaning supplies, supports for online learning and the more than 400 staff that have been hired through the first phase of funding.”
The funding is from the $150 million in the COVID contingency fund for education from provincial, federal and school division savings.
As a part of this second round of funding, 51 applications have been approved to provide new funding to school divisions, qualified independent schools and historical high schools.
In total, the following funding has been approved:
- $5.2 million for sanitization (includes 107 additional staff)
- $7.2 million for equipment and furniture, including audio amplification systems to help students hear when their teachers are wearing masks
- $21 million for remote learning (includes 279 teachers and staff, which is in addition to the 252 staff approved in September)
- $2.6 million for technology upgrades, including the purchase of additional computers
- $1.5 million for other costs including additional supervision requirements and mental health and community liaison supports.
In order to maintain funding stability for the education sector, school division operating grants will not be adjusted based on actual enrolments for the 2020-21 school year. This means that school divisions and independent schools will continue to receive funding based on their projected enrolments and will not see a decrease to their funding.
There is $26 million remaining in the COVID contingency fund for education. The next intake for school division funding applications will be on March 1, 2021.