Saskatoon’s Catholic school board says it’s passed a balanced budget without any major cuts.
The board of education for Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS) voted its 2019-20 operating budget on June 24.
The division has passed a balanced budget of 194 million dollars – they are getting just over $179 million in operating money from the province, a 3.4 per cent increase.
The budget covers the period beginning Sept. 1, 2019, ending Aug. 31, 2020.
“The provincial government has talked about a new relationship with school divisions, and this modest increase is a step in the right direction,” board chair Diane Boyko said in a press release.
“There’s a real desire to do more for students. At every level, people see that more could be done if the resources were there.”
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However, the school division said it cut some programs two years ago to balance the books, and it says this budget does nothing to restore those services when dealing with rising costs and inflation.
Enrolment is expected to increase by 647 students next year, according to GSCS.
The 2019-20 operating budget allows for 41.1 FTE (full-time equivalent) new teachers and 12 FTE new educational assistants.