INNISFAIL - Chinook’s Edge School Division expects to see an increase in enrolment in the 2019-20 school year, officials said.
The increase is projected to be about 100 students, bringing the total student population in the Innisfail-headquartered division to more than 11,100.
News of the expected new enrolment comes as trustees approved the 2019-20 budget before summer break.
The division budget totals $128 million and includes an operating deficit of $2.6 million. Susan Roy is the Chinook’s Edge treasurer.
“It typically hovers around that $128 million to $130 million,” Roy said in an interview. “It’s down a little bit because we are assuming this new (provincial) government is probably not going to give us the classroom improvement fund, which was about $1.3 million, and we are assuming we are not going to get the ($150,000) nutrition grant.”
With the net amortization of $1.9 million and capital purchases of $1.7 million, the division’s operating reserves are expected to decline by $2.4 million, she said.
The 2018-19 budget was $130 million.
“It was closer to a balanced budget last year than this year,” she said. “Because we don’t actually have a provincial budget yet we have had to make some assumptions about what our revenue and expenses are going to be.
“We have a negotiated memorandum with the teachers at the provincial level, but we don’t have our locally bargained amount and we don’t have the (salary) grid, which has gone to mediation.”
The division is assuming the funding rates will remain the same as in 2018-19, she said. “So if we put those two together, if assuming that grants aren’t going to go up and yet we’re going to have some new costs, we are looking at a deficit budget for sure,” she said.
“We are in good shape reserve-wise so we are able to manage this for a year with some cuts but still relying on our reserves to make it all work.”
The division is now waiting to hear back from Alberta Education on funding going forward, she said.
“We are expecting a fall (provincial) budget and then we will of course have our enrolments confirmed September 30. Then we will have to adjust accordingly once we know,” she said.
The division believes the province will be funding student enrolment growth in 2019-20, she said.
“So we are assuming that we are going to have a slight increase in our grant revenue and that we will have funding for that to provide teachers for those students that are new to the division,” she said.
In other news from a recent board meeting, trustees were given an overview of the year’s highlights from the College of Alberta School Superintendents (CASS).
The college’s president is Chinook’s Edge superintendent and CEO Kurt Sacher, who recently renewed his contract with the division for five years.
“Among the list of significant highlights (presenter) Barry Litun summarized that Sacher has advocated for school authorities and system leaders from across the province, and is acknowledged as an experienced, reasoned and reasonable CEO.”
The college provided Chinook’s Edge with $45,000 as compensation for Sacher’s work as president, with the money going to the administrative budget. The college also provided $1,500 for a scholarship for a Chinook’s Edge graduate in 2019-20.
Meanwhile, the board is continuing to advocate on behalf of vulnerable students and plans to form a committee to push that goal, officials said.
The board recently issued its school Year in Review, highlighting the progress of some of the goals in the division’s multi-year strategic plan.
One of the board’s goals relates to Horizon School, which is located in Olds and serves special needs students.
“The board continues to advocate for a cross-ministry approach to funding this vital programming for the division’s most complex and vulnerable students,” the report states. “An ad hoc committee is being formed to this end.”
Regarding leadership, the board established a new communications-stakeholders committee to promote advocacy priorities.
“This committee ensured the board’s priorities for education were clearly defined for parents and communities during the provincial election, and then forged exciting collaborative opportunities with the new MLAs serving in our Chinook’s Edge communities.”
Chinook’s Edge trustees served in a number of provincial leadership roles during 2018-19, including with the rural caucus of Alberta School Boards, the College of Alberta School superintendents, and the Alberta School Employee Benefits Plan.
Regarding transportation, the board has continued its joint busing agreement with the Red Deer Catholic division.
The division has also been working to “model an innovative approach to cost savings in many areas, such as a joint IT project with Canadian Rockies School Division, the report states.
There are 43 schools in the Chinook’s Edge School Division.
