The Government budget announced on March 22, 2017 has left many challenges for our school division. Not only were the funding cuts deep, they added to the funding model distribution that was completed in January, 2017. These two cuts in addition to a projected increase of 575 additional students this year and three new schools opening, this has resulted in the Regina Public School Board looking for $9,500,000.
This is no small amount of money and put into equivalent terms, this amount represents the entire 2015/16 transportation budget; or it could represent approximately 111 teachers taken out of the classrooms. As the Board moves forward with deliberations, I do know that a focus is ensuring resources are in front of our students to the best of our abilities.
The first announcements were presented in the April 4th, 2017 Board Meeting and represented just over $3.1 million of the total $9.5 million deficit. The three cuts identified were all tough decisions but none harder than the Early Years Programming:
Early Years Programming - $1.3 million saved - The phase-out of the Discovery Preschool (intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder and/or a physical disability), Communication Preschool (Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Apraxia or Apraxia-like symptoms) and SCEP Centre (severe to profound trauma/neglect) funding were approved. It is worth noting that recently in the news the Minister of Education has been making headlines and I am sure I will have another update soon for you. It is also worth noting that the Regina Public School Board operates 41 prekindergarten programs at 24 schools that are funded by the Ministry of Education. These three that are being phased out to save $1.3 million were never and as of to day, are still not funded by the Ministry. Due to these hard times, this has made it a very difficult decision. Some of these children will be able to join the currently funded pre-k programs in our Division, others potentially can reach out other resources such as Child & Youth, Wascana Rehab and the children's program or ECIP (Early Childhood Intervention Program) but even with these, I know that what the School Division has offered can have positive social and development impacts that last and flourish over that child's entire life. I am providing this as information so there can be an understanding and background of the decisions made.
Full Day Kindergarten - $450 thousand savings- This option comes down to bussing. Currently with half day kindergarten, the morning children are bussed home at lunch time and then the afternoon kids are brought in before 1pm. So for everyday of kindergarten, the transportation is utilized four times. Moving to a full day, the transportation is only needed twice per day, once in the morning and again in the afternoon. Their is no change to teacher or student time in the classrooms.
Transportation Zones - $1.35 million saved - Currently transportation is calculated by the street route (so basically using Google maps). They start the distance from the school and follow the road till they get to your house. If you are over the distance, your children will receive bussing. The way the Ministry of Education is funding this and the way we have changed our model (to match funding), is that the distance of 1.0km is drawn 'as the crow flies' from the school. So that mean, if you put a mark on the school and draw a straight line to your home ignoring the streets and obstructions, that is the new distance. If you outside the circle, your children receive bussing. Rearranging these transportation zones resulted in approximately 1,100 students that currently receive transportation will no longer be eligible.
That is the summary of the $3 million announced of the $9.5 million of budget shortfalls.
Other worries now are the additional 3% wage cuts that are expected that will be discussed in the upcoming months. In addition, there are a lot of concerns over legislation changes that provide the Minister of Education substantial power over all 28 School Boards in Saskatchewan. I will provide more updates as I can but for now, click the link to see a short video on the current budget impacts.