Sask. school division cutting 21 teaching jobs, CFO blames inadequate gov't funding

Saskatchewan's South East Cornerstone Public School Division is cutting 21 teaching positions and 11 other support staff to make up for a $2.5-million deficit, according to its chief financial officer.

"Unfortunately we did have to reduce staff in order to reduce the deficit that we were going to have in our budget," said CFO Shelley Toth.

Toth said the division is cutting 21.8 full time equivalent (FTE) teaching jobs, another two consultants in early literacy and curriculum, and 11.6 non-teaching staff in jobs ranging from education psychologists to library technicians and caretakers.

She said the job cuts were necessary after the provincial government failed to increase operating grants enough to offset inflation and an increase to non-teaching staff salaries.

"Due to the minimal increase we received in funding for next year, the board has made the difficult decision." 

The SECPSD encompasses 36 schools from the Manitoba border to Ogema in the west and from the U.S. border to Rocanville in the north.

The 2022 provincial budget tabled this spring upped education spending by 1.3 per cent to $3.8 billion, a far cry from the 4.7 per cent school divisions and the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) were asking for to keep pace with inflation and salary increases for non-teaching staff.

In a previous interview, Education Minister Dustin Duncan said the government was fully funding the two-per-cent salary increase for teachers and downplayed the role inflation would have on school division budgets.

"The things that are affected by inflation are relatively minor," he said at the time.

In addition to holding the education portfolio, Duncan is the MLA for Weyburn-Big Muddy, which falls in the SECPSD.

When pressed during question period about education job cuts and budget shortfalls, Duncan has stated this year's budget included a record level of spending on education.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Education provided a statement in response to questions for this story.

The statement said SECPSD is projected to receive $95,765,000 for the 2022-23 school year, an increase of $1,648,000 from last school year, with enrollment projected to remain stable. It also said SECPSD is eligible to receive $240,534 from the targeted classroom supports fund to hire additional educational assistants. 

"The Ministry of Education has received South East Cornerstone Public School Division's budget submission," the statement said. "Once all the budgets are received, the ministry will work with school divisions in reviewing their expenses and monitoring the impact of proposed changes for classrooms."

Toth said the SECPSD has seen its expenses increase astronomically with fuel prices, insurance costs and automotive parts going through the roof.

According to the SECPSD's budget for the 2022/2023 fiscal year, insurance has increased by 36 per cent, fuel is up 13 per cent and bus repairs and maintenance have increased by 20 per cent.

Toth said the division will dip into its accumulated surplus to pay for the $2.5-million deficit, but the surplus is quickly dwindling — from $22.2 million in fiscal 2020-2021 to $14.4 million at the end of 2023 if the budgeted deficits are realized.

The piggy bank eventually runs out of coins.- Shelley Toth

Normally that surplus would pay for special projects like building a new school division office, or other capital projects like a recent bus garage, which the division paid for last year using the surplus.

"The piggy bank eventually runs out of coins, so that's the concern," Toth said.

She said the decision to cut teaching and support staff will impact students, with classroom ratios increasing to 23.75 students per class from 21.75. 

"We would like to keep as many teachers in the classroom as we possibly can," Toth said, adding that school divisions across the province are facing the same fiscal constraints and potential cuts to staff.

"My understanding is that others are going through the same exercise as we are."

STF says government not listening to school boards

STF president Patrick Maze said a 4.7 per cent increase to the province's education budget would have kept programming status quo for school divisions, but that at 1.3 per cent it's no surprise that divisions are cutting teachers and support staff from the payroll.

"With the high inflation right now I'm kind of surprised that the government isn't listening to the elected leaders who are the school board trustees who are all indicating they aren't going to be able to balance budgets with education at its current levels," Maze said.

"They're all indicating there's going to be cuts and yet government seems to be playing a wait and see attitude, which is pretty dangerous when you're dealing with our youth and a system that needs time to put the supports in place."