Medicine Hat Public School Division office - CHAT NEWs File Photo

By Scott Roblin

Education

Public School Division dealing with shortfall following budget

Oct 31, 2019 | 11:16 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — The Medicine Hat Public School Division is also expecting a shortfall after the provincial budget was tabled one week ago.

According to School Board Chair Rick Massini, the school division is expecting to be $2.4 million short this year after the budget, which will be filled by dipping into its reserve fund.

School funding was frozen for all schools in Alberta in the 2019 budget.

He adds the board were caught off guard by the level of cuts from the province.

The division says they don’t anticipate any changes in staffing levels for the current school year, but he says a one year provincial transition grant will expire in 2020, which will result in a $3.8 million shortfall.

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“That could be very significant,” Massini said. “Obviously, we’re going to do everything we possibly to minimize the impact of that, but when you look at it, $3.8 million dollars, that equates to the equivalent of probably 45 teachers. Now, that’s only if we were to focus entirely on that aspect. We have some other avenues to pursue, but the monetary value of that reduction is the equivalent of 45 teachers.”

Massini says losing any staff in the division would have an impact on students.

“Certainly, class sizes will be impacted with a reduction in staff, whether it’s teachers, teacher aides, other support workers and so on, so there will be an impact on children.”

Massini adds the board is looking at everything they can do to limit job losses and make up the shortfall.