Saskatoon Board of Education 'frustrated but determined' after approval of 2021-22 budget

The Saskatoon Board of Education has approved a $287.7-million operating budget for the upcoming academic year. 

The provincial government increased funding by two per cent, but the school board says it's not enough.

The $4.6-million increase in funding will mainly cover a provincially negotiated salary increase for teachers. But the board said in a news release that there is an $8-million shortfall in the budget, and that funding doesn't compensate for salary increases for other staff, rising student need or inflationary costs.

Several changes were made to address the budget shortfall, including the reduction of almost 70 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. The board said that at least one layoff is anticipated, but that the majority of staff who are impacted will be redeployed. 

It also included a 10 per cent reduction to school budget lines and 15 per cent reduction to central office budget lines. There are currently no specific program cuts. 

"We really looked in every corner of Saskatoon Public Schools to try and find efficiencies that would allow us to continue to ensure that students are in learning environments that offer them the best potential," said board chair Colleen MacPherson. 

Once per-student funding is adjusted for inflation, she said, the division is getting $344 less per student than in 2016.

"If the government had provided for inflation in our annual grant, we wouldn't be having this conversation. So I would like to see what we've always wanted in education, and that is adequate, sustainable and predictable funding for education in this province."

MacPherson said that the division is spending around $11 million more on learning support for students than it is receiving in funding. 

"As a board, we are frustrated but determined to advocate for sufficient, sustainable and predictable funding for education." 

Right now it's too early to tell what kind of an impact this might have on students, according to MacPherson.

"Until we know what our numbers look like, until we know what the course of this pandemic is, what sort of protocols we will be operating under ... there's still a lot of question marks," she said.