2024-2025 Budget Development: Seeking Feedback

Secretary-Treasurer Kevin Patrick presented the board with recommendations from the district’s senior leadership team for the 2024-2025 operating budget. The district has projected a $493,000 surplus heading into next year’s budget, unlike many districts around the province which are experiencing deficits.

The district’s operating budget is developed annually after receiving the funding announcement for the upcoming school year from the Ministry of Education and Child Care in March, which is based on student enrolment projections. The budget is developed through consultation and feedback from rightsholders and partner groups between March and May.

Close to 350 budget proposals totaling approximately $4 million were received from partner and rightsholders including students, parents, CUPE 723 support staff, CRDTA teachers, principals and vice-principals, exempt staff, and the district parent advisory committee. Proposals were carefully considered for alignment with the district’s strategic priorities and the recommendations brought forward by senior leadership were based on feedback from rightsholders and partner groups.

The recommended additions include: 

• $20,000 (which combined with current outsourced mechanical work) will allow for the hiring of another 1.0 mechanic. This will eliminate the need for contracting this work and will support succession planning.
  
  
• $25,000 to support a .2 FTE outdoor education coordinator. While the district is not able to add a full-time outdoor education position, this will allow for 1 day per week which would be a start to identify and further support outdoor education efforts in the district.
  
  
• $25,000 to change the payroll supervisor position to a manager position. This is in alignment with other school districts our size and in recognition of the increased scope and complexity of the district’s payroll as our total number of staff has risen since the position was created.
  
  
• $30,000 to add additional Indigenous Knowledge Keeper supports outside of targeted funds. This will allow the district to expand the time of the current Knowledge Keeper.
  
  
• $70,145 for the addition of a .2 vice-principal position at École Phoenix Middle School. This will be a combined with existing funding from Indigenous Education and Inclusive Education to allow for some additional Indigenous Education supports at École Phoenix and a .2 vice-principal addition at Carihi Secondary.
  
  
• $100,000 to restore funding that was previously cut from school allocations (formerly school supplies). With inflationary cost increases these additional funds are needed. An extra one-time amount that the district is due to receive through the Student Family Affordability Fund will also be split over two years to provide additional field trip support to schools with the greatest need.
  
  
• $100,000 towards a new enterprise resource planning system (ERP) as replacement for the CIMS business system. This will not be the total cost of a new system but is starting to set money aside towards implementation costs.
• $125,000 for the addition of a 1.0 FTE numeracy coordinator position.

Senior leadership team is also proposing the addition of the following through existing budgets or grant funding:

• $190,000 for a director of instruction. This is being offset by not backfilling an associate superintendent position upon a retirement in December 2024.
  
  
• $100,000 from an anticipated surplus in the 2023-2024 final budget towards the replacement of technology equipment.
  
  
• $125,000 for a 1.0 FTE elementary social emotional learning support teacher. There are two specialty teaching positions that will be on leave next year that the district already knows won’t be able to be backfilled. Funds from these positions within the Inclusive Education budget are being repurposed for the year to allow for this and other additions instead of collapsing the positions from the budget.
  
  
• $24,000 for the addition of an extra .2 FTE to the district teacher librarian position. This will take the position from 2 days a week to 3 days a week next year. Again, this is being funded from within the Inclusive Education budget (see the explanation above).
  
  
• $70,145 for the addition of a .2 vice-principal at Carihi Secondary. (see the explanation for the .2 vice-principal at École Phoenix and the elementary social emotional learning support teacher).

Feedback on the proposals can be submitted by email to the secretary-treasurer’s office until 4 p.m. on May 23.

The board will review and possibly approve the budget at the May 28 public board meeting.