INNISFAIL - Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) trustees have approved updated key advocacy priorities and key messaging priorities, include those related to student mental and physical health.
The move came during the board’s recent regularly scheduled meeting. The 10,400-student division is headquartered in Red Deer and has schools in Innisfail and Olds.
Trustees will voice the priorities when they meet with parents at school council meetings as well as at other engagements, superintendent Kathleen Finnigan told the Albertan.
The advocacy and messaging priorities are grouped into four principle categories: Catholic education; funding; cross-ministerial support; and transportation.
The Cross-Ministerial Support: Physical and Mental Health Needs message states, “RDRCS appreciates targeted supports for student well-being and health needs, which can be complex and require the services of other non-education professionals.
“Collaboration among school boards, education partners, and all child-centred ministries, would ensure students’ well-being and health needs are supported and recommendations of the Child and Youth Wellbeing Review are enacted.”
The Funding: Access to Funding priority message states: “The provincial government’s practice of providing additional funding through grants and targeted processes is inefficient, creates unnecessary administrative burden, and increases costs. Those dollars should simply apply to boards’ base grant.
“Clarity on current specific grants and access before the start of the school year would allow for appropriate planning for student programming and resourcing. It is difficult to hire teachers and staff after the start of the school year, and it disrupts student learning to change staff and programs during the year.”
The Transportation: New Transportation Framework, Funding and Insurance message states, “While the government has announced a new transportation framework for the 2023-24 school year, which will reduce walking distances for students and address some off the inflationary pressures, the challenges of hiring and retaining sufficient numbers of bus drivers will be compounded.”
The Catholic Education message states, “RDCRS believes that all students should have access to a publicly funded Catholic education” and “Catholic education is a unique partnership between school, home, and parish that seeks to develop a student’s whole person by integrating academic excellence and faith.”
Meanwhile, divisions officials are predicting there will be a 1.1 per cent increase in student population in the 2023-24 school year.
A budget assumption report was presented to trustees outlining data to be used to formulate the 2023-24 budget.
No increases in class sizes are projected, with grades K-3 remaining at 18.5 students per class, grades 4-6 remaining at 26 students per class, and grades 7-9 remaining at 28.5 students per class.
Operational funding will increase by $2.8 million in the 2023-24 school year, of which $2.1 million will be for teacher salary settlement.
Substitute cost will remain consistent with prior years at $1.8 million, and insurance costs will increase three per cent.
Trustees approved the budget assumption report as presented.
