Saskatoon Public Schools says budget increase won't cover growing enrollment or class complexity

Saskatoon’s public school board says that despite “record” funding from the province this year, the ministry’s allocation to the division doesn’t make the grade.

Saskatoon’s public school board says that despite “record” funding from the province this year, the ministry’s allocation to the division doesn’t make the grade.

In a letter to parents on Thursday, Board Chair Kim Stranden and Director of Education Shane Skjerven said the $20.2 million increase to their operating grant announced in last month’s provincial budget won’t account for years of accelerated enrolment growth and rising inflation costs.

“This increase may seem significant, and it is; however, when factoring in an anticipated enrolment increase of 700 students, rising costs due to inflation and the continued increase in students requiring additional support, there is minimal room for further supports, programs and services for students,” the two administrators wrote.

“In recent years, chronic underfunding has resulted in significant organizational reductions.”

As the school board works to finalize its budget for the next school year, the two administrators say they first want to let their stakeholders know about the current “budget realities, the reduction we have made in recent years and the continued chronic underfunding we receive in the Supports for Learning category of the provincial funding formula.”

Saskatoon Public Schools also released a budget information document on Thursday illustrating where they’re seeing the greatest increase in costs, including a $3 million growth in salaries expenses to cover new teachers hired due to enrolment growth and a $2 million increase to cover inflationary costs.

In response to the concerns, the Ministry of Education continued touting the “record increase” of 8.8 per cent in school division funding in this year’s budget.