The South East Cornerstone Public School Division had been hoping that a badly needed capital project in Weyburn would have been included in last week's provincial budget, but alas, it wasn't. But the renovation of the former junior high school to make it user-friendly for elementary school-aged students, is No. 1 on the Education Ministry's capital needs list for next year, according to school officials.
The idea is that when Grade 7, 8 and 9 students in Weyburn all move into a newly renovated and expanded Weyburn Comprehensive School sometime later this year, or next, the division will be able to shut down two aging elementary school buildings in the city.
"But them saying it's No. 1, that doesn't mean that much," said Cornerstone's director of education, Marc Casavant.
With a less than nominal increase in funding of 0.2 per cent in this year's budget, and the call for the division to find more than $380,000 in efficiencies, it translates into less funding than the previous year.
"We had already attacked previous spending to find efficiencies and with inflation factors, the spreadsheet shows a take-away from our bottom line," Casavant said.
The funding formula, based on projected enrollments for 2014-15, will warrant an increase of about 1.5 full-time equivalent employment positions.
Preventative maintenance and renewal funding has increased 27.7 per cent and will be used for roof replacements and improvements to heating and ventilation systems, said Shelley Toth, the division's chief financial officer.
The efficiency factors that are being asked for in S.E. Cornerstone amount to $387,500, she said.
The budget allows for a one per cent increase for non-teacher salaries and cost increases related to teachers' salaries will be determined once a new collective bargaining agreement is ratified. Earlier this year the Ministry, Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation and Saskatchewan School Board Association negotiators had reached an agreement that the STF took to their members for a vote of approval. It was subsequently rejected by a large majority of educators. Since then there has been no progress made on a second round of discussions.
A new formula for supports for learning resulted in a 0.2 per cent increase and a new formula for transportation was not implemented, so that area of the local budget will be funded using averages from 2011-12 and 2012-13, said Toth.
Cornerstone operates 38 school facilities, five maintenance garages, head office and sundry other buildings within a $93 million operations budget with nearly $53 million coming from provincially governed property taxes and another $39 million from ministry grants.
"Overall, it seems this provincial budget is removing about $7 million from the 28 school divisions around Saskatchewan. Something will have to give eventually," said Casavant.
"Until we understand the depth, meaning we start projecting costs to see where our deficit will be, then we can see how deep we have to cut. As a strategic view, it's how do we shape the cuts when they come?"
Casavant said Cornerstone will align itself with the province and its new sector plan, but that plan still has several unknown elements to it.
"Those kinds of things used to be clear and articulated. They aren't now," he said.
Such earmarked items as teacher development are not so sure now and that school divisions will have to ensure there are financial resources available before they move them up on their schedules. Programs may have to be cut.
Casavant suggested there are still efficiencies that can be implemented, such as a province-wide negotiation unit for the purchase of school buses and a continuation of a search to build and place locatable classrooms. He said hiring of professionals such as social workers and mental health consultants might be better handled by other provincial agencies rather than education, meaning that the interagency model might have to be reconsidered along the way, especially the funding models.
"I don't see budgets growing in the next few years, so we have to find ways to do business and fund the business we're already doing. Maybe it will require partnerships if we're going to move forward with industries, universities, SIAST and regional colleges."
He said if Saskatchewan expects to have a knowledgeable workforce in 2020, it will mean having to find even more efficiencies and new ways to offer educational experiences to provincial youth.
