The Rocky View Schools (RVS) Board of Trustees approved a $326 million 2024/2025 RVS budget that will focus on directly supporting schools, despite trustees’ evident frustrations with government funding.
In February, the RVS Board and Board Budget Committee established a set of priorities for the 2024/2025 budget that includes direct support to classrooms, enhancing technology and teacher devices, student and staff wellness, enhancing facilities, and a target operating reserve balance at 0.5 to one per cent.
Since mid-March, the Board and Board Budget Committee have been hard at work developing the 2024/2025 RVS budget following the reception of the funding profile from the Government of Alberta.
The board later reviewed the RVS budget highlights for consideration at the May 9 meeting ahead of the Government of Alberta May 31 deadline for accepting budget proposals.
At the May 30 RVS board meeting, RVS administration presented the 2024/2025 RVS budget to trustees.
The main priority covered by the presentation included how funds are being directly allocated towards assisting the classroom, and over 90 per cent of instructional funding goes through a school allocation formula.
According to the report, 76 per cent of the total $326 million budget (over $240 million) will be allocated directly to instructional services. Over 90 per cent of the direct instruction budget ($220 million) will be fully a part of school budgets as well.
The budget allocates $15 million to schools for Inclusive Education Service, and over $7 million of central support will be allocated to assist with complex needs. Over $3 million will be allocated to support two online schools, and over $4 million will be allocated to three Rocky View County (RVS) Community Learning Centres, according to the report.
The report also states that student funding will see a 2.7 per cent increase in 2024/2025, and RVS are forecasting an increase of 2.6 per cent for student enrolment for 2024/2025. The student funding will not include funding for renewal projects or capital maintenance, however.
During discussion and questions, trustees voiced their frustrations with government funding for students. RVS administration said student enrolment has increased by over 26 per cent since the 2017/2018 school year, but they are not receiving the proper funding.
Ward 1 Trustee Shali Baziuk said the surplus of student enrolments has not been met by the government, and even though they require extra funds, she feels uncomfortable with asking for more.
“For our system admin budget, of the 3.2 per cent that we can, we spend the 2.8 per cent,” Baziuk said. “We’ve made it a priority to keep between 0.5 and one per cent in our reserves because we’ve drawn them so low (to meet insufficient funding).”
Baziuk also explained how the Government of Alberta’s Weighted Moving Average has been causing negative effects for schools.
“As the government has talked about the Weighted Moving Average, they have talked about how they can protect schools with declining enrolment,” she said, “but what does it look like to have schools that are in divisions that are growing but are actually declining in enrolments?”
Superintendent of Schools Greg Luterbach explained that 11 new teachers will be introduced in response to over 700 new students, however, they just need a little more money.
“If we had $3.3 million base level funding (for students), we could absolutely do more,” said Luterbach.
Chair Fiona Gilbert made the motion for the 2024/2025 RVS budget to be approved and for Superintendent Luterbach to submit the budget to the government by May 31.
The vote was passed unanimously.
