The Thames Valley District School Board is set to carry a deficit into the next school season.
The preliminary budget for the public school board was released on Monday ahead of a Tuesday meeting.
The budget shows the board will carry a $4.6-million deficit into the next school year — double the size of last year’s deficit.
The executive summary of the budget breaks the deficit into three parts: $1.6 million is related to capital purchases, $1.5 million is from a new communications system and another $1.5 million is related to changes made by the Ford government that will alter class sizes.
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While the Ministry of Education expects all boards of education to balance their books for the upcoming school year, boards are allowed to carry a deficit of one per cent of their budget.
Thames Valley’s deficit falls well within that range.
The overall budget totals $963 million, which is down $11 million from last year.
Earlier this year, the Progressive Conservatives announced they would increase average class sizes in grades 4 to 12.
The Thames Valley budget includes 54 teaching positions at the board that aren’t currently funded by the province, resulting in a budget pressure of $5 million.
While no jobs will be lost, the Thames Valley board projects a loss of 291 positions in secondary schools and 38 in elementary schools.
Trustees will meet to discuss the budget at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.