The public school division’s budget will give parents a break in school fees, but that doesn’t mean moms and dads won’t have to pull out their chequebooks.
“The no common fee to parents is an immediate $70 to $75 a student that families will see a reduction in,” said Drew Chipman, Foothills assistant superintendent, corporate services. “As well, we are required in our fees to have a clear mechanism on how parents can receive forgiveness on fees.”
However, there will be fees.
“There has been a misconception by some parents that there will be no fees,” Chipman said. “That’s not what this (provincial) government did. It is important to note that the government has said this is step 1 and there will be additional work and consultation concerning school fees going forward.”
The Foothills School Division passed its 2017-18 budget of $93.489 million. With revenue of approximately $91.80 million, it is running a deficit budget of around $1.7 million.
Although it is the second consecutive year of a deficit ($1.89 million in 2016-17), it is all part of the planning.
School divisions must have a surplus in order to run a deficit budget.
The division has a surplus of just over $10 million.
It is Foothills trustees’ goal to have a surplus of around five per cent of its budget, approximately $4.6 million.
“The plan is another two or three years of deficit spending until we get to that point,” Chipman said.
He said trustees are using reserve funds in the classroom, including $200,000 a year for the Classroom Program Innovative Project over the next five years. As well, $1.2 million will be earmarked towards a larger new gym at the K-9 school along 32 Street in Okotoks (scheduled to open in September 2019).
“As those projects come in and get approved and get finalized, those dollars will be drawn down,” Chipman said. “And then we will have to make choices where we start balancing the budgets... We believe a five per cent surplus is likely more appropriate for a division.”
The money from the surplus has been used to hire teachers in the past.
He said in about three of four years the division will be in a position to balance its annual budget.
The surplus can be handy — the division was out approximately $3 million after the 2013 flood, which rocked High River area schools until insurance came in.
The biggest number on the division’s budget is for certified staff at $53.93 million, an increase of about $461,000 over last year. However, with Alberta teachers settling for a zero per cent pay increase (other than on the grid schedule), it may mean more teachers.
The division will also receive $970,000 through the $75-million Classroom Enhancement Fund once its proposal on how the funds will be used is approved by Alberta Education.
The division is setting up a committee with teachers to discuss the proposal.
Chipman said how those funds will be spent won’t be finalized until the fall.
