Teachers, chamber call for funding boost

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/03/2025 (197 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Teachers and the Brandon Chamber of Commerce called for more funding to address the Brandon School Division’s budget constraints during a public presentation and feedback session on Monday evening.

A nearly $6.7-million shortfall forced division’s trustees to approve a 6.78 per cent property tax increase. The board spent nearly six hours last month deliberating on ways to cut expenses and reduce the initially projected property tax hike of 8.79 per cent.

Following the provincial government’s modest four per cent increase in operating funding for the 2025-26 school year, the BSD faced a shortfall of $6,699,768, excluding budget requests.

It was “disappointing” that the division’s budget constraints resulted in the hiring of only 15 or 16 new teachers instead of the originally planned 31, Brandon Teachers’ Association president Tammy Tutkaluk told the Sun.

With the division expecting to accommodate 500 more students this year, Tutkaluk said the reduction in staffing would exacerbate existing challenges.

“It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly where funding could have come from without seeing the full budget,” Tutkaluk said. “But $100,000 from a budget line would mean another teacher, and we needed 31 of them.”

Tutkaluk explained both the division and teachers had expected more from the province and were left struggling with the shortfall. She called for the provincial government to re-evaluate its funding formula, noting that Brandon does not have the same tax base as larger metropolitan areas like Winnipeg.

“The trustees still have the opportunity to review budget lines and potentially make some decisions,” she said. “I also hold out hope that the provincial government will respond to the advocacy efforts behind the scenes.”

Despite being affected as both a property owner and a teacher, Tutkaluk said she was willing to accept the tax increase.

“As a taxpayer and as a parent, I have to remind myself that this is for the future of our world,” she said. “If I need to pay a little bit more to ensure the best education for my child and others, then I am willing to pay that amount.”

During her presentation, Tutkaluk highlighted the growing demands placed on teachers and the increasing inequities caused by funding shortfalls. She noted that larger class sizes, inadequate resources and the failure to hire additional clinical support staff would leave students, particularly those with additional learning needs, at a disadvantage.

“Doing more with less has long been a reality in education,” she said. “But when students require significant adaptations to their curriculum and many are several years behind developmentally, we cannot afford to stretch resources even thinner.”

There are concerns about Manitoba’s education funding model, as the province is one of the few that fund education primarily through property taxes, Brandon Chamber of Commerce vice-president Jennifer Ludwig told trustees. She stated that this makes transparency in the budget process crucial and emphasized that equitable, reliable and predictable provincial funding is key to ensuring that Brandon remains an attractive place to live and do business.

“The chamber is committed to working alongside the division to advocate for a more stable funding model,” she said.

She argued that this unpredictability in funding makes it difficult to plan for future growth and development and stated that the chamber is committed to advocating for a more stable funding model.

Ludwig explained that as Brandon’s population continues to grow, ensuring that all students have adequate space to learn and achieve their goals is critical, adding it is important to address any disconnect between how the province and the division define capacity.

While she acknowledged the BSD’s efforts in gathering stakeholder input during the budget process, she urged that this information be used proactively to address challenges before they escalate.

“We encourage the division to offer targeted training for educators to align programming with Brandon’s economic needs,” she said. “If hiring additional staff is required, future community needs and evolving skill requirements should be considered.”

There is a need to invest in more specialized staff and educational programs that help the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community, local advocate Terri Antoniw told the trustees.

She proposed hiring a Deaf educator to teach American Sign Language (ASL), Deaf history and Deaf culture, rather than relying on Educational Assistants (EAs) to fulfil these roles.

“Providing ASL learning opportunities for all staff would be invaluable,” Antoniw said. “Schools with Deaf and hard-of-hearing students should at least offer basic ASL training.”

Antoniw also urged the division to distinguish between ASL interpreters and signers, explaining that trained interpreters undergo extensive education in language and cultural norms, whereas signers may not have the qualifications needed for full interpretation services.

To foster inclusivity, Antoniw proposed the creation of ASL and Deaf community events for students, suggesting after-school ASL clubs as a means of bringing Deaf and non-Deaf students together.

The division’s enrolment in the 2024-25 academic year saw an increase of 311 students, which directly impacted costs for supplies, staffing, and services, board chair Linda Ross said while outlining the financial situation of the division.

Ross also explained Manitoba’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by an average of 1.1 per cent in 2024, warning of potential further increases in CPI for 2025 due to the gas tax holiday ending on Dec. 31.

“Inflation affects both controllable expenses, such as office supplies and computers, and non-controllable expenses, including utilities, fuel and insurance, reducing our overall purchasing power,” she said. “The rising costs have reduced schools’ purchasing power, with supply costs increasing by up to eight per cent.”

Despite these financial challenges, Ross added the division is committed to providing high-quality education while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

“We appreciate the input from stakeholders and look forward to working together to build a stronger school community,” she said.

Manitoba parents can be reassured that the provincial government is investing in their kids, Education Minister Tracy Schmidt told the Sun.

“We’ve increased school funding by 3.4 per cent so kids can get the support and care they need to be successful and thrive, Schmidt said in an email. “This increase includes a four per cent funding increase for Brandon School Division and rises when including money for the school nutrition program, which ensures Manitoban kids are fed and ready to learn.”

The minister explained the provincial government has moved to build new spaces for students, by expanding the Maryland Park School to add 14 new classrooms, and it is committed to building new schools to address the needs of kids.

“After years of freezes and cuts by the previous government, we’re making up for lost ground by making sure that schools have the stable, predictable funding they need to support kids,” Schmidt said.

» aodutola@brandonsun.com

» X: @AbiolaOdutola