"It's not an official budget yet," and with that, Shelley Toth, vice-president of finance for the South East Cornerstone Public School Division, presented the board of trustees with a proposed $113.1 million breakdown of revenues and expenditures that is expected to get a nod of approval from the Ministry of Education.
The $113.1 million in anticipated revenue represents about $4 million more than last year's allocation and includes $104 million for operations and capital expenditures of $22.3 million.
The total number of employees in the local public school division now numbers 1,114.93 full-time-equivalent positions.
The budget, Toth pointed out, includes funding and resources to host two lean events in the next fiscal year as the province's 28 school divisions move toward implementing lean efficiencies within their particular systems.
Other government initiatives that gained support in the budget include an action plan to address bullying through implementation of positive behaviour intervention supports. There will also be a government-directed review of the software program and continued violence threat risk assessment training along with professional development sessions.
The $113.1 million in total revenues will see an allocation of $98.6 million for operating and $14.5 million in capital funding.
Most of the funding for provincial school divisions now comes from the education ministry through their property taxation and grants systems, she said, and this year Cornerstone will be picking up $54.5 million through property taxation transfers and $37.8 million in ministry grants. Another $1.5 million will be accessed through tuition fees paid by other systems while school-generated funds will amount to $2.7 million and other grants and miscellaneous sources will account for another $1.88 million. Disposing of tangible assets will garner a further $203,000, Toth suggested.
On the capital spending side, the financial officer said major facility projects are partially funded by the ministry. About $17.6 million has been set aside for the ongoing remodelling of the Weyburn Comprehensive School with a total project cost expected to come in close to the $40 million mark before it is completed. Another $260,000 is being allocated for a relocatable classroom at Assiniboia Park School in Weyburn while another $1.2 million will be spent on maintenance and roof repairs.
The budget also contains $45,000 as this year's allocation toward a $240,000 commitment for a new athletic track at Estevan Comprehensive School. ECS will also gobble up another $565,000 with the need to once again replace part of the roof.
The division will also be purchasing eight school buses at a cost of around $720,000, Toth said in her report, and three other vehicles will be purchased as replacements at a total cost of $140,000.
Budgeted staffing includes 564.6 full FTE teaching positions, a decrease of one position from the prior year, and 550.33 non-teaching staff positions, a decrease of just over 14 positions compared with the previous year.
Salaries and benefits will amount to just under $74 million this year while the purchase of goods and services will absorb $22.5 million and $7.3 million will be directed toward amortization of newer structures, including the two-year-old K to 12 school in Oxbow. Debt servicing will take up another $445,000.
