Regina Public Schools echoes Saskatoon board’s message to province

Regina Public Schools is sending out the same message Saskatoon Public Schools did earlier this week.

Last week, Regina’s public and Catholic divisions and the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Division issued a statement asking for more money as they deal with more students passing through their doors.

That same message was shared by Saskatoon Public Schools, but it took it a step further. The board warned of “difficult decisions” ahead if it doesn’t get more funding to help deal with 600 new students its schools will be accepting next year.

The provincial government’s budget is providing $2 billion to Saskatchewan’s 27 school divisions for school operating funds. That’s not enough, in the divisions’ minds.

Darren Boldt, the director of education and CEO of Regina Public Schools, said by the start of the new school year in September, the board anticipates having 700 new students.

He says right now, those students aren’t being funded.

“We have the same concerns as all school divisions in the province, specifically (that) the four urban school boards are seeing significant issue with the budget and funding for our school divisions,” Boldt said.

“We’re projecting over 700 more students from September of this school year (2022-23) to September of next school year,” he added. “Those are students that are basically not funded at all.”

To put that into perspective, Boldt says Regina Public Schools essentially has accepted a new large elementary school of kids into its schools without any funding at all.

“It has put significant pressure on our schools and our school division,” he stated. “Those students go into classrooms, the pupil-to-teacher ratios go up, we can’t add staff (and we) can’t cover transportation.”

Boldt wants to see a three per cent increase in the board’s budget in order to fund the population and student enrolment growth. He notes in this year’s budget, schools received only a one per cent increase.

Boldt notes this growth is not normal for the division and is higher than previous years.

According to Boldt, the lack of funding is creating a deficit for the board and he notes if it doesn’t see a mid-year funding adjustment, it could lead to tough decisions.

“How it impacts us is it creates a deficit for us. If we don’t see a mid-year funding adjustment, our deficit will grow,” Boldt stated. “Going forward in terms of future budgeting, we’ll have to make tough decisions and make cuts in many areas to the school divisions that we would obviously prefer not to.”