ROCKY VIEW— The 2021-22 Operating Budget for Rocky View Schools has been approved by the division's Board of Trustees.
Key priorities in the budget include pandemic recovery and growth opportunities, student success through targeted funding in face-to-face and online classrooms, school-based supports for students with complex needs, mental health support and literacy and numeracy skills development.
Superintendent Greg Luterbach said $290 million is included in the budget and ties back to Rocky View Schools' four-year plan, operational needs, delivery of services, building on innovations, pandemic recovery and targeted funding for families.
Overall projected revenue in the budget is $281.3 million with overall expenses sitting at $291.8 million. To cover the gap between funds $10.5 million will be moved from Rocky View Schools' reserves.
Board chair and chair of the budget committee Fiona Gilbert said this budget is focussed on the key priorities identified by the board and reflects Rocky View Schools' commitment to ensuring all students, “Learn, belong and succeed.”
Gilbert added she appreciates the budget's recognition about the importance of supporting the impacts of the pandemic across the jurisdiction.
“The board recognizes that the impact of the pandemic will continue to be felt throughout the 2021-22 school year," Gilbert said. “This budget addresses the challenges and opportunities brought on by the pandemic while continuing to provide learning environments that ensure everyone learns, belongs and succeeds.”
Overall based on the funding profile provided by the provincial government Rocky View Schools is up $100,000 in comparison to the 2020-21 school year.
However, looking at the base funding that removes one-time expenses the division will experience a $3 million funding gap. These reductions relate to instruction, operations and maintenance.
Base operating funding from the government increased $1.6 million mainly due to increases in bridge funding, however operating funding for infrastructure maintenance renewal decreased by $1.5 million.
Current student enrolment in the division sits at 25,289 students and Rocky View Schools expects to see an increase to 26,495 students for the next school year.
Based on the expected number of classes and class sizes in the division, director of finance Steve Thomas, described the budget as “status quo.”
Operating funding from the provincial government represents about 84 per cent of overall funding in the school year. Thomas said based on the weighted moving average funding model the majority of the funds come through base instruction at $150 million.
Success through targeted funding to classrooms will account for 92 per cent of instructional dollars from the governments $191.6 million going directly to schools, consistent with this year's allocation. All additional funding goes toward substitute teacher funding and divisional learning supports. Thomas said 80 per cent of school fees have been maintained with no change.
Transportation student fees for ridership base fees will drop by $50 down to $325. Rocky View Schools has also included a $25 discount for those who register early and pay half by June 2021. Thomas said the division expects to see revenues for transportation drop by $700,000, but $2.7 million in fees is still anticipated. These fees cannot be repurposed. This reduction in cost will not impact the services provided to families, but is intended to find efficiencies.
Allocations of funding for Grade 9 and High Schools will remain the same for student families in the 2021-22 school year.
Teacher costs have risen by $3.4 million largely driven by benefit-cost pressures, Thomas said, and $330,000 will be driven to schools for inclusion support.
Rocky View Schools is creating two online schools and $1.2 million from operating reserves has been used to support their start-up.
Funding to the tune of $23 million for supports and services, $24 million for school operations, maintenance and transportation and $3.2 million for community areas, $8.3 million for system administrations have also been earmarked.
Rocky View Schools has flagged $5.85 million from operating reserves to support pandemic recovery. Thomas said these are largely one-time costs and will provide the division the ability to address issues as they enter the 2021-22 school year. The division will allocate $1 million toward mental health and social and emotional support for schools, $2 million for cleaning protocols, $1 million for pandemic-related cleaning supplies, $500,000 for teacher coverage increases and the need for substitutes and $1.2 million for start-up costs of online schools.
School-based supports for students with complex needs $14.5 million has been allocated to schools.
Mental health and wellness supports have been maintained and the allocation for child development providers sits at $2.5 million. Funding has also been maintained to support family-school liaisons, psychologists and mental health team for $1.9 million. In high schools $1.6 million for guidance counsellors.
Gilbert noted there is still some uncertainty as to what schooling will look like in the future and what the needs of staff and students will be moving forward.
“I think one thing is absolutely clear, that it is more important than ever to ensure that our students and staff are well supported for 2021-22,” Gilbert said.
She noted the pandemic has financially impacted many families in the division, and Rocky View Schools is trying to address these factors through the reduction of transportation fees and maintaining school fees overall.
“Budgets are balancing acts— Balancing the needs and goals of our four [year plan] along with the dollars and resources that we have. The budget committee and myself feel this budget find a good balance,” Gilbert said.
