Union pans school pandemic funding
SASKATOON With guidelines for a fall return to classes likely coming this week, Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation president Patrick Maze says the provincial budget does not address the additional spending needed to do so safely.
Included in a $42.1-million increase (2.2 per cent more than the 2019-20 budget) in operational funding for schools is $20 million to fund a compensation increase for teachers this year as part of the ratified collective bargaining agreement.
Maze said that doesn’t address the costs of inflation, increased enrolment and diversity of student needs, nor does it touch on the additional costs divisions may have to shoulder as they plan for school to resume.
“They are going to have to create some additional funding mechanism to address the social distancing and extra sanitation needs of schools,” Maze said.
Last week, Education Minister Gord Wyant announced students will return to classrooms this fall, noting there will be additional costs for school divisions.
Wyant said the ministry will work to address the costs of additional sanitation and measures to ensure social distancing — cleaning, separate entrances, staggered classrooms or some continued online learning.
Maze said he has heard some divisions in the province talking about renting additional facilities.
In question period on Tuesday, NDP Opposition Leader Ryan Meili called the budget “a cut and paste job,” with no changes in education spending to address the pandemic compared to the budget released earlier this year. The Opposition has called for the creation of a contingency fund to ensure the safety of students and teachers.
“Now that we’re talking about having them return to school, we need to know that’s going to be done safely, that they’re going to have the resources to be able to do this,” Meili said.
It falls on the divisions and the province to keep students and teachers safe, but ultimately the province has to fund them to do so, Maze said.
“It’s a frustrating situation because you don’t like to cut corners when it comes to people’s health and safety,” he said. “It seems like the government is kind of toying with that idea. And it’s just not on for teachers.”
In a statement Monday, Saskatchewan School Boards Association president Shawn Davidson said the budget “provides some assurance to school boards about their operations, which remain in a state of pandemic response, and removes an element of uncertainty going forward.
“Operating funding levels for 2020-21 will enable boards to continue doing what they need to do at a base level, though fall short of the significant investment we hoped for to help address some of the challenges in classroom.”
The provincial budget for 2020-21 includes $1.94 billion in school operating funding and $130.4 million in capital funding, $8.5 million of which will go toward the development of seven new schools and renovations to three existing ones.