Members of the St. Clair Catholic public school board have given the green light on a budget of more than $130 million for the 2023-24 year.
Trustees on the St. Clair Catholic School Board (SCCSB) approved the $130.9-million budget Tuesday evening for the upcoming school year. The board said the budget was developed to help balance supports for all students.
The budget includes a deficit of $664,636, which the SCCSB said is primarily due to a funding shortfall in transportation. The board said it will continue to work with CLASS Transportation Services to develop strategies to achieve a balanced budget in the future.
"Other fluctuating budget items that are monitored rigorously include staff replacement costs and costs impacted by inflation, such as maintenance of facilities, due rising utility and commodity prices,” said SCCSB Associate Director, Corporate Services and Treasurer Amy Janssens.
Several other financial priorities in the budget include:
Continuing into the third year of a three-year mental health and addictions strategy and annual action plan for mental health.
Maintaining a focus on engagement of all students through the board's Equity Action Plan, Indigenous Education Action Plan, Special Education Plan, and supports for multi-lingual learners.
Supports for at-risk students.
Board-owned devices and strong connections to the broadband network for every student, classroom educator and all secondary students engaged in e-learning.
The SCCSB said budget estimates for next year are in compliance with all Ministry of Education accountability and reporting requirements. The approved budget has now been forwarded to the Ministry.
