Rocky View Schools (RVS) board approved its budget for the 2018-19 school year last week. Instructional resources is boasted to receive 78 per cent of the $280 million budget while 13 per cent will go to operations and maintenance. Another six per cent is slated for transportation and the final three per cent is set to go toward governance and administration — below the 3.6 per cent cap set by the province. The budget will support 48 schools. "Like any school division, we'd love to have increase funding from the province," said Todd Brand, chair of the RVS board of trustees. "We know that that's not to be particularly expected at this time." RVS board said the focus on instruction funding is to emphasize classroom improvements especially as the district braces for expected 1,000 more — or an increase of 4.45 per cent — new students in the coming school year. Brand said while the grants from Alberta Education increased, the number of new students entering the RVS system makes the amount of grant dollars per pupil the same as the previous year. The funds directed to instruction will go toward direct classroom instruction; direct classroom support for learners with complex needs; mental health supports; and literacy and numeracy skill development. Inclusive education funding provided to schools by Alberta Education was increased by $500,000. "Most of that is really going to be maintaining the services we currently have. A lot of that money is to make sure we don't fall behind from where we're currently at in terms of enhancing support for those students," Brand said. The money will be spent largely on additional learning assistants in the class rooms. One variable still to be determined is the $2.7 million Classroom Improvement Funding from AB Education. RVS administration is currently working on how to allocate the funds. Based on student growth, the board is projecting a 3.1 percent increase to revenues.
