Saskatoon Catholic schools to cut 19 teaching positions, introduce lunchroom fee

The Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS) board has announced plans to eliminate 19 teaching positions.

This comes a week after Saskatoon Public Schools announced it would also be cutting a total of 19 full-time teaching positions.

The GSCS 2022-23 budget was approved Monday, and GSCS is projecting a $3-million shortfall to maintain the “status quo” in the classroom.

And while the provincial funding has increased, the overall lack of funding ever since the 2017-18 cuts means GSCS is left trying to balance a difficult budget.

“We will receive $3.85 million more than last year, the bulk of which will cover provincially negotiated salary increases,” GSCS said on its website.

“That increase simply has not kept pace with enrolment growth (we expect 400 more students next year) or with rising expenses.”

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The board said they believe they should be hiring rather than cutting positions to accommodate growth.

“400 more students is equivalent to a decent-sized school,” it said. “We should be increasing supports in areas like English as an Additional Language. We should be adding robust supports focusing on mental health and the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of students. Instead, we are faced with reductions in essential services for students.”

The budget also outlined a new lunchroom fee.

There will be an annual $70 fee for lunch-hour supervision for students who remain at school for lunch.

Half-time kindergarten students will pay $35 annually. Fees will be capped at $140 per family.

According to GSCS, the division will use $1.3 million of restricted reserves for short-term expenses to help balance the budget.

On Friday, Premier Scott Moe addressed Saskatoon Public Schools’ budget, saying schools should draw from their “ample reserves.”

“The education minister has mentioned that there are ample reserves in many, if not all, of the school divisions across the province,” said Moe.

Moe was critical of school divisions choosing to introduce lunchroom fees, as GSCS introduces the fee as well.

“Before a school division is going to charge parents additional dollars for noon-hour recess … they most certainly should be looking at using some of the reserves that have been growing in the last few years,” said Moe.