The Saskatoon Public Schools (SPS) Board of Education has approved its operating budget for the 2023-24 school year.
On June 1st, an additional funding of $40.0 million was announced by the Government of Saskatchewan for school divisions across the province.
Board Chair Colleen MacPherson says the extra funding is appreciated but “there is still chronic underfunding pressures throughout the division we will need to address.”
She says they will have to make reductions and increase some fees in order to submit a balanced budget which is required by legislation.
Saskatoon Public Schools will use additional funding to hire more classroom teachers, resource teachers, English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers and educational assistants which means that with the school division expecting an additional 1,036 students in September 2023 and enrollment topping 28,000, they will not increase class sizes.
A lunch supervision fee of $50 per student is being introduced in secondary schools. A fee was established in elementary schools last year. How much a family pays for elementary students remains the same.
The rental rate for after hour school gym rentals will go up and the school division plans to recover a portion of its costs for early learning centre spaces in schools. As well the complement of teacher librarians will be centralized with the number cut by more than half.
Some details of the 2023-24 budget as provided by Saskatoon Public Schools:
• The addition of 22 elementary teachers and 13 secondary teachers to support enrolment growth
• 13.0 FTE educational assistants
• 5.0 FTE elementary resource teachers
• 3.5 FTE English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers
• Two elementary Functional Life Skills programs and one secondary Functional Life Skills program
• An increase to the Saskatoon International Education program budget
• 0.5 FTE accounting technician
• 0.5 FTE coordinator of nature-based learning
• 1.0 FTE equity consultant
• Funding for a staff computer refresh, wired network replacement and back-up systems.
The 2023-24 budget reductions and fees include:
• The introduction of a lunch supervision fee of $50 per student per year in secondary schools similar to the
elementary fee established last year. The elementary lunch supervision fee remains unchanged at $100 per
student per year to a maximum of $200 per family (The school division compensates staff for providing this
service.)
• Recovering a portion of our costs for early learning centre spaces in schools
• Rental rate increases for after hour school gym rentals
• Transportation efficiencies
• The Alternate Education Transition program at Central Office will be dissolved. These students have met
graduation requirements and have the opportunity to upgrade two classes for free, similar to any other student
who has graduated from Saskatoon Public Schools.
• Reduced complement of teacher librarians from 6.75 FTE to 3.0 FTE who will support schools using a centralized
model
• Elimination of post-pandemic outreach workers and learning support teachers as the one-time funding has been
spent.
