Cutbacks could be coming to Winnipeg schools, says WSD trustee

A Winnipeg School Division (WSD) trustee says significant cutbacks are possible for next school year, and limited funding from the Manitoba government is to blame.

On Thursday, Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen said the province will be boosting funding to public elementary and high schools by just half a percentage point, or $6.6 million, and capping school property tax increases at two per cent.

While the province calls it an increase, school boards say the education budget actually amounts to a cut in funding to local schools.

While overall funding is increasing by $6.6 million, more than half of all school boards – including the Winnipeg School Division, the province’s biggest – will see a slight decrease this year due to declining enrollment and other factors.

WSD Ward 3 trustee Mark Wasyliw said the rate of increase promised by the province doesn’t match the rate of inflation.

“Our costs keep going up every year and we get less and less money from the province,” Wasyliw said Friday.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Our costs keep going up every year and we get less and less money from the province," Wasyliw said Friday.

Wasyliw said to make up for the shortfall, the division is either going to have to cut programs and staff, or raise property taxes.

“We have to make up that money somehow,” he said. “We either have to raise property taxes substantially, past two per cent, or we have to  make larger class sizes, which means hiring less teachers, or we have to cut programs that people love like our nursery program, or full day kindergarten, or we have to look at getting rid of the school resource officer program.”

The education minister argues the funding is reasonable.

Goertzen said the province’s wage freeze on teachers and staff will help control costs, as salaries account for roughly 80 per cent of all education expenses.

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“This is the highest level of funding in Manitoba history. That shows our commitment to Manitoba students despite our current economic realities,” Goertzen said in a news release.

“Since 2016, our government has increased funding to school divisions by more than $26 million.”

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Wasyliw said the WSD Board of Trustees will sit down over the next few weeks to discuss what the divisions next steps will be.