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Holy Spirit facing $2M shortfall |
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Written by Caroline Zentner
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Friday, February 26 2010, 11:04 PM |
With no increases to operating grants to schools in the provincial budget, the Holy Spirit Catholic school division faces a shortfall of more than $2 million for the 2010-11 year.
At the same time, costs are expected to increase by about five per cent and Holy Spirit administrators are looking for ways to cut costs while minimizing the impact on classrooms.
“It’ll be very, very difficult to maintain the same staffing and programming levels that we have this year,” said Chris Smeaton, superintendent. “At the same time we’re not going to press the panic button.”
Education Minister Dave Hancock has said he will approach Treasury Board for funding to pay for the arbitrated increase to teachers’ salaries and possibly the next increase due to teachers under the terms of their agreement. That gives Smeaton reason to hope the government will still come through with some extra funding. In the meantime, planning for next year’s budget means looking at the worst-case scenario.
“The government has been in a tight spot; unfortunately the entire province feels that. I’m very protective that we maintain good education quality because children deserve that,” he said.
Smeaton couldn’t say how many staff positions might be affected because it’s too early to know how many staff might leave the division through attrition or retirement. Teachers have until the end of May to inform employers of their plans for the following year.
Should the government come through with funding to pay for the arbitrated increase to teachers’ salaries, the situation would ease considerably.
“It won’t cover all the costs,” Smeaton said, adding it would amount to about three per cent of the five per cent expected cost increases. “I’m hopeful, cautiously optimistic, that the government will fully fund the agreement that they signed with the Alberta Teachers’ Association or come up with some other plan that supports school divisions.”
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