Catholic board approves balanced budget
Board approves financial outline that relies on no money from reserve funds
A small bump in enrolment will allow Edmonton Catholic Schools to hire 15 more teachers and 10 other professionals next year, the district’s chief financial officer says.
The Catholic school board unanimously approved a $527.7-million balanced budget Tuesday for the 2018-19 school year. It’s a four per cent increase from this year’s budget, and relies on no money being drawn from reserve funds.
“You cut the suit to fit the cloth; this is the cloth that we were given,” board chairman Terry Harris said. “We were very impressed with the suit that administration was able to provide for us.”
Administrators project 836 more students to enrol next fall, which would be a two per cent increase, to a total of 43,346 Catholic students.
SOME BUS FEES RISING
The budget relies on junior and senior high student bus passes rising by $2 a month in September to help offset the rising cost of Edmonton Transit passes and yellow busing. Elementary school bus fees will remain the same next school year.
The district will trim $1.6 million from its transportation budget by having some schools share buses, sending some buses on double runs each morning and afternoon, running four-day kindergarten programs at 14 schools, and sharing buses for eight Catholic schools with Edmonton Public Schools on double runs.
“It feels good,” Boris Radyo, assistant superintendent of educational planning, said of dodging new fees for elementary students.
“We’ll be as efficient as we can for our resources, and if we can keep the money with the families, that’s just what we want to do.”
A note to families posted on the school district’s website said busing changes are necessary to offset a transportation deficit next year.
The Edmonton public school board decided last week to raise bus fees five per cent per year starting in fall 2019 to help offset a shortfall. Like their public counterparts, Catholic trustees were also frustrated by last year’s legislation that disqualifies students enrolled in language programs from free and reduced-cost busing backed by the provincial government.
In a letter to Education Minister David Eggen last week, Harris said the government encourages school boards to develop and offer programs in different languages, yet penalizes the families with higher bus fees.
“The financial impact on parents of not including bilingual and immersion language program schools and alternative programs is significant and is not inclusive,” Harris wrote.
FRONT LINE STAFF WANT MORE PROFESSIONALS
In budget consultations, Catholic school employees said they wanted the district to invest more in services for students, said chief financial officer James Grattan.
“Every time we have an opportunity to fund an extra occupational therapist or educational assistant is another opportunity to help a child,” he said.
“Of course, we would like to have more, but a balanced budget will not afford that — that’s the reality.”
School boards do not receive any increase in provincial government funding to account for inflation or staff rising through salary grids, he said.
The board has also lobbied Eggen to restore additional funding for English language learners to seven years of extra cash from the current five years of support.
The district is set to receive $4.7 million from government next year from the continuation of the Classroom Improvement Fund, which will be used to hire staff to work with students with complex needs and English language learners.
We would like to have more, but a balanced budget will not afford that — that’s the reality.