Manitoba schools get funding boost, new school coming to Transcona

The Manitoba government is putting about $55 million towards building a new school in the Transcona area.

Experts say this is a much-needed project, and construction is expected to start in 2026.

“We’ve been experiencing unprecedented growth over the last while,” Colleen Carswell, the chair for the board of trustees at the River East Transcona School Division, says. “We are the largest, fastest-growing division in the province. So, this is good news for our families, students and staff.”

The province announced a 3.4-per cent increase in operating funding for schools across Manitoba for the next school year, the largest increase in seven years

“We know that there’s more work to do,” Manitoba Education Minister Tracy Schmidt said. “We will be reconstituting the stakeholder advisory group on school to make sure that we get whatever changes that are needed right going into the future”

School funding includes the following:

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• $53.1 million in operating costs for public schools
• $30 million for nutrition programming, in addition to the federal government’s commitment of $6.7 million, for a total of $36.7 in nutrition funding for 2025-26;
• $6 million for capital support, which includes principal and interest costs related to building schools;
• $7.8 million to independent schools as per their funding agreement
• An additional five schools participating in the Community Schools Program; and reconstituting the stakeholder advisory committee on school funding.

“This announcement will have a positive impact because one of the things that MTS has long advocated for is an education funding increase that meets or exceeds inflation,” Nathan Martindale, Manitoba Teachers Society president said. “So this 3.4-per cent increase is above the rate of inflation from last year.”

The increase per division will vary from one to 9.8 per cent.

While the increase is appreciated, experts say Manitoba needs more schools.

Sandy Nemeth, Manitoba School Boards Association president and Louis Riel School Division trustee talked about her school division.

“We anticipate significant growth both in English and French immersion, to the extent that we have already made government aware that we are going to be requesting several new schools,”  she added.

“The board now needs to sit down and have a conversation about what the priorities are and how we are going to craft a budget for 25-26.”

2:06 Manitoba government outlines funding plan for upcoming school year