Public board approves budget, expects to hire 21 new teachers

Saskatoon’s public school division will hire more than 21 new teachers, despite having a budgetary shortfall of more than $15 million for the upcoming 2018-19 budget.

On Tuesday, the province’s largest school division passed its budget, but it was far from balanced. A report headed to the board of trustees on Tuesday detailed expenses of $267.6 million, compared to revenue of roughly $251.9 million.

Alongside the new teachers, the division will hire more than 18 full-time educational assistants in an effort to accommodate enrolment growth.

The division is expected to grow by 465 students next year, and while classroom sizes will increase “slightly” at secondary schools, elementary school class sizes will go unchanged, the report indicates.

The 2018-19 budget is an increase of 3.2 per cent — about $8.2 million — compared to last year’s budget of $259.5 million. The report noted about $1.5 million will be pulled from operating reserves to “continue with current programming.”

The division will hire to fill a full-time counsellor position for student services, alongside a behaviour counsellor.

However, the allotment of teaching positions, including teacher librarians, will be decreased in order to reduce the overall budget shortfall, and nonsalary employees across the division have been reduced.

“We’ve had another difficult budget year, where enrolment growth and the needs of our students have outpaced the funding provided by the provincial government,” said board chair Ray Morrison.

“Our board tried to make reductions while maintaining a high level of academic programming and student supports. However, as we learned last year, such reductions will impact our students’ experiences.”

The report lists several issues the division wants to address with the Ministry of Education, including ensuring there is sufficient funding to support students with special needs and students who require help with English as an additional language.