School board trustees adopt $132.4M budget

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This article was published 12/03/2024 (921 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon School Division board of trustees approved the 2024-25 budget Monday evening, earmarking more than $132.4 million in operating expenses for the next academic year.

The $132,429,365 budget reflects a substantial growth of $10,332,598 in expenses, representing an 8.5 per cent increase from last year’s $122,173,967 budget.

Board chair Linda Ross characterized the budget as “responsible,” considering the multitude of tasks at hand.

“This is a responsible budget,” she said. “I recognize the numerous priorities that demand attention — it’s essential to bear in mind that significant achievements take time. As the saying goes, ‘Rome was not built in a day.’”

She said various factors contributed to the upswing in the budget.

“They include changes in enrolment, the impact of inflation, both controllable and non-controllable expenditures, and school instructional budgets,” she said. “Other factors are the capital maintenance budget, salaries, employee benefits, funding model reviews, provincial funding, revenue from other sources, special requirements, special levies, accumulated surplus and capital reserves.”

The guidelines outlined in a preliminary budget preparation motion, she said, further specify key areas of focus, including inflationary increases for non-controllable expenditures, a four per cent increase for controllable expenditures, a four per cent increase for school instructional budgets, a four per cent increase for the capital and maintenance budget, and accommodation for enrolment changes.

Ross also explained the increase in the budget is primarily driven by higher contributions from other government streams.

“The provincial government shows a 7.7 per cent increase, contributing $5,824,739, while the municipal government exhibits a notable 10.2 per cent rise, contributing $4,471,310. Other school divisions contribute $21,450, reflecting a 5.2 per cent increase,” she said.

On the expense side, regular instruction sees a 7.7 per cent increase, amounting to $5,768,437, and instructional and other support services experience a significant surge of 43.4 per cent, contributing $1,368,280 to the overall increase.

These factors collectively contribute to a notable 8.5 per cent rise in total revenue, amounting to $132,572,665, and an 8.4 per cent increase in total expenses, reaching $132,429,365.

Her presentation includes a breakdown of staff full-time equivalents (FTE) for the 2024-25 budget, showing increases in various functions, particularly in regular instruction, student support services, and instructional and pupil support services.

In 2023-24 (as of Sept. 30), the Brandon School Division student population increased by 326, representing the second-largest yearly student increase the division has experienced in more than a decade, after the 328-student increase witnessed in 2022-23.

But unlike last year, the new NDP provincial government allowed the school board to raise taxes — a departure from the stance of the previous Progressive Conservative government.

The board agreed to increase the education property tax by 2.92 per cent during its Feb. 22 meeting.

All the trustees voted in favour of the 2024-25 on Monday evening.

Trustee Duncan Ross said there was a delicate balance between rising costs for residents and ensuring quality education, especially as the city recently increased the property tax by 9.4 per cent.

“I am happy with the decision of the board to increase the tax by 2.92 per cent,” he told the Sun in an interview. “We need to ensure our kids get the education they deserve and the small increase will bridge the budget gap.”

Trustee Kim Fallis commended the efforts of the division’s team involved in the budget process. She emphasized the need for the division to initiate lobbying efforts aimed at establishing additional schools.

“I appreciate the hard work put into the budget process by our dedicated team,” she said. “It’s imperative that we proactively advocate for the creation of more new schools to meet the growing needs of our community.”

Trustee Calistus Ekenna said the budget was a reflection of the post-pandemic challenges faced by the community. Ekenna also said the division needs to lobby for the establishment of more schools.

“The budget accurately mirrors the realities our community has encountered in the aftermath of the pandemic,” he said. “I echo the call for the government to play a role in expanding educational infrastructure by creating additional schools. I am content with the budget as presented.”

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