St. James-Assiniboia seeks status quo budget

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/03/2022 (1368 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

St. James-Assiniboia School Division trustees have earmarked funds to launch a new Indigenous advisory council in an otherwise “status quo” budget for operations next year.

The metro board, which includes 8,200 students learning across 26 schools in west Winnipeg, hosted a virtual consultation session this week to outline projected expenses and revenue sources in 2022-23.

The $119-million draft budget aims to maintain current class sizes (an average of 20.5 in early years, 22.8 for middle years, and 21.4 for senior years) and operations, with a handful of staff reductions through attrition, an increase in user fees, and an anticipated sale of an old school site in Westwood.

An allotment of $5,000 in the blueprint has been set aside for a new initiative that aims to include more Indigenous voices in local decision-making.

“It’s definitely a highlight for our board of trustees and our senior administration, to get some better community representation. Unfortunately, a lot of disenfranchised community members aren’t able to run for the board — whether it be due to time commitments or due to money,” said Craig Glennie, chairman of the board of trustees’ finance committee.

The exact details of the St. James-Assiniboia Indigenous advisory council are still being worked out, but Glennie said the group will likely include four to five community members who will receive stipends for their involvement.

Apart from that addition, the trustee called the latest blueprint, “a very status-quo budget.” He noted it is possible because the division has received a 2.4 per cent increase in annual operating funding from the province for 2022-23.

Surging inflation, employee salary settlements, and unforeseen COVID-19 expenses have been key challenges for all school boards in Manitoba amid budget planning season.

Glennie also highlighted cost pressures associated with aging facilities and accessibility upgrades during his draft budget presentation March 1.

Meantime, the division anticipates all of its pandemic-related expenses during the current school year to be covered by provincial funding. SJASD could not immediately provide a price tag for those 2021-22 expenses Thursday.

“As public health orders continue to change, we look forward to returning to programs, school events, celebrations and many other activities that have been paused,” Cheryl Smukowich, chairwoman of the school board, said during the virtual public presentation Tuesday.

Smukowich said trustees, senior administrators, staff, students, stakeholders and community members must continue to work together to ensure schools are safe, supportive and equitable spaces.

In addition to pandemic allotments, the government is distributing one-time grants to boards for cost pressures — in particular, wage settlements for teachers and support staff, tied to the February 2021 Pembina Trails arbitration board decision to disregard the Tories’ wage-freeze legislation — and fixed property education taxes for 2022-23.

The average homeowner in SJASD will see their annual bill decrease by $15.05 next year because the education property tax remains frozen as the province works toward phasing it out entirely.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie