The Prairie Spirit Board of Education approved the Division’s 2018/19 budget at its meeting on Monday, June 18, the last Board meeting of the current school year.
“Our budget has been designed to support the Board’s key results areas,” said Larry Pavloff, Board Chair. “This includes a focus on graduation rates, reading, writing, mathematics and early learning.”
Prairie Spirit’s funding is determined by the Ministry of Education, based on the provincial funding formula and the projected enrolment for the school division. The provincial budget in April detailed all school division funding for 2018/19.
Prairie Spirit’s funding increased by 2.46% ($2.61 million) over the previous year, in recognition of the Division’s growing enrolment. Prairie Spirit is projecting an enrolment increase of almost 200 students for the upcoming school year. “We are very grateful for our funding for 2018/19 as it recognizes the enrolment growth in our school division,” said Pavloff.
Budget highlights
- Staffing: Prairie Spirit will add 10 additional teaching positions and seven additional Educational Associate positions for the 2018/19 school year. This staffing reflects the Ministry’s funding for enrolment growth.
- Rosthern School project: Prairie Spirit’s funding for 2018/19 included over $10 million for the ongoing Rosthern School project. The two schools in Rosthern will be consolidated into a Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 facility which will be open for students by September 2020. The projected total cost of the project is over $24 million.
- Facility repairs and maintenance: The provincial budget allocated an increase of 14.8% for facility repairs and maintenance for school divisions. Prairie Spirit’s annual allocation in this area will be $2.3 million for 2018/19, an increase of $400,000.
- Busing: Prairie Spirit’s budget includes $1.5 million to purchase new buses for the Division.
The 2018/19 budget was developed following extensive consultation with the Board of Education and the Division’s senior leadership. School division budgets must be submitted to the Ministry by the end of June.