One year after a pandemic budget was referred to as “stable but unpredictable”, Greater Saskatoon Catholic School’s (GSCS) Board of Education sees the 2021-22 operating budget as more predictable, but long-term stability is in question.
GSCS Board trustees unanimously passed the balanced operating and capital budget of $208.67 million that administration presented at their regular meeting on June 28, 2021.
“Funding for pre-kindergarten to Grade 12 education in Saskatchewan is increasing, but provincial grants are not keeping pace with inflationary increases we’re seeing on the expense side,” said Board of Education Chair Diane Boyko. “We’re thankful for provincial and federal funding to cover additional pandemic-related expenses this past year and going into fall 2021
“But it becomes difficult for school divisions to maintain—never mind increase—levels of service to students and families when only some increases are recognized and others are not.”
Boyko alluded to the fact negotiated teacher salary increases are covered, but negotiated increases in other job categories are not.
The division projects enrolment growth of 955 more students (4.9 per cent). Priority will be given to staffing and resourcing enough classrooms to accommodate that growth while maintaining class sizes.
Construction of the new St. Frances Cree Bilingual School is the top capital priority for the division. Demolition of the former Sion Middle School on 7th Street East will begin this summer to make way for the new school. The division will receive funding to finalize detailed designs.
The school division’s fiscal year runs from September 1 to August 31 each year.
A detailed look at the budget can be found on the GSCS website at https://go.gscs.ca/budget.
2021-22 Operating and Capital Budget By the Numbers:
* $190.36 million operating grant from the Government of Saskatchewan
* $208.67 million operating and capital budget
* $2.55 million operating grant increase (1.36%)
* 955 more students expected (4.9%)
* 15 additional teaching positions
* 6 FTE new student services positions
* 17 additional educational assistant positions
* $5.8 million for detailed design and start of construction of a new St. Frances Cree Bilingual School