Beautiful Plains faces tough budget choices

NEEPAWA — The Beautiful Plains School Division is considering a property tax increase and potential budget cuts as rising salary and operating costs outpace provincial funding ahead of the board’s 2026-27 budget decision.

Beautiful Plains will receive about 1.9 per cent, or roughly $340,000 — an amount that falls short of current pressures, secretary-treasurer Shannon Bayes told the Sun.

“That doesn’t even cover the harmonization costs for teachers alone,” Bayes said. “The division expects about $590,000 in additional costs tied to salary harmonization.”

The funding gap grows further when inflation, staffing pressures and other operational expenses are factored in, she said.

Bayes said the preliminary budget projections show a gap of about $1.9 million, or about 6.2 per cent, with about $1.7 million of that tied to salaries.

The division’s approved operating budget for 2025-26 was approximately $30.75 million, with early estimates placing next year’s budget closer to $32.6 million, she said.

Last year, the Beautiful Plains School Division set its 2025 special levy at $11.35 million, with a mill rate of 10.37, a 2.35 per cent decrease from the previous year.

Bayes said trustees have not made any final decisions but acknowledged the board is facing “an incredibly difficult decision.”

“There have been many years of delayed decisions on items that make the budget,” Bayes said, adding that those pressures have compounded over time.

“At this point, the board has not decided yet what they’re doing, but they will need to consider both a reduction in staffing allocations and an increase in local taxation.”

Discussions about potential tax impacts are ongoing, and Bayes said the board remains mindful of the burden on residents. No proposed rate changes have been finalized as trustees continue reviewing options during budget meetings.

“Our board takes it very seriously when they tax and how much they tax,” she said. “They don’t want to tax unnecessarily. They take that to heart.”

The division also kept provincial officials informed of its financial challenges ahead of the Feb. 9 funding announcement, describing it as part of maintaining open communication as cost pressures grow across school divisions.

Bayes said enrolment growth does bring additional funding, but the formula used to calculate provincial support often lags behind actual costs, making it difficult to keep pace with rising expenses year to year.

With many residents now watching closely for the board’s decision, Bayes said trustees are working to balance fiscal responsibility with maintaining programs and staffing levels.

“It’s very tight,” she said. “The board does a good job of balancing those things together, but these are tough decisions.”

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