Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools warns of cuts after provincial budget

Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools is making significant cuts, saying the service reductions are necessary after the provincial budget provided an insufficient increase to education.

In a letter sent to parents and caregivers obtained by 650 CKOM, Diane Boyko, chair of the board of education, and François Rivard, director of education, explained the tough position the division is in and outlined the cuts coming in the next school year.

“As has been the trend for several years now, we are in the unfortunate position where we will have to make some difficult decisions about programming and student supports,” Boyko and Rivard wrote.

“Instead of having discussions on how we can better serve students, we’re once again talking about what students and families will have to live without.”

While Saskatchewan saw a billion-dollar surplus in its recent budget, the provincial government decided to pay down debt using the additional revenue, which was largely due to spiking resource prices. Education funding did see a boost, but according to Boyko and Rivard, it’s not enough to maintain the division’s current services.

“Our school division will receive an additional $4.7 million in 2023-24 to accommodate our projected enrolment growth of 700 more students,” the letter read.

“If we were to maintain the same level of supports and programming in 2023-24 that we have now, we would run a $1.5-million deficit.”

The division leaders said the board will submit a balanced budget to the Ministry of Education before the end of June, but getting there may be painful.

The division said it plans to increase elementary school lunch supervision fees to $100 per student per year, capped at $200 per family. That’s an increase from the current cost of $70 per student per year.

A high school lunch supervision fee of $25 per student per year will also be introduced, the division said, and after-hours facility rental rates will also be increased.

Cuts will include the elimination of teacher librarian positions, leveled literacy intervention, attendance care teams, extended learning opportunities programming and the EcoJustice program.

Full-time Kindergarten will be reduced from 10 schools to just two, the division added, and the number of required school buses will be reduced by running fewer routes with longer ride times.

“We are receiving less money, on a per student basis, than we were in 2015-16,” the letter read. “Children and youth deserve better. As a board, we will continue to advocate for an investment in education.”

Boyko and Rivard called for “a commitment of stable and predictable funding” from the provincial government.

Saskatoon Public Schools has also warned of “difficult decisions” that will need to be made in the wake of the provincial budget.

“This year’s funding increase for us is less than one per cent, well short of what is needed to even maintain the status quo in our division; given rising costs and an estimated 600 additional students next year, the extra $2.8 million will be quickly spent,” board chair Colleen MacPherson and director of education Shane Skjerven wrote in a letter to parents.

Dustin Duncan, Saskatchewan’s education minister, has promised more funding will be provided to school divisions, over and above what was promised in the budget. The exact figure has not yet been decided, but Duncan said the government will work directly with divisions to make that determination.

“We are encouraged by these words,” Boyko and Rivard noted. “However, there is no detail on how much money will be provided nor when it will be given to school divisions. This uncertainty makes our planning very difficult.”