Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education

By Charles Lefebvre

Education budget

Catholic Board of Education using reserve funds to cover deficit

Nov 29, 2019 | 4:32 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — The Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education says they will have to dip into their reserve funds to help cover a funding shortfall following the provincial budget.

The board presented its updated budget for the 2019-2020 school year, based on changes to education funding and grants in the province’s 2019 budget.

“We are forecasting a deficit of $693,000, and we can fund that through our existing reserves,” said secretary-treasurer Greg MacPherson.

MacPherson says the deficit results from the province ending three main funding grants (the classroom improvement fund, the school fees replacement grants and class size funding). He says the loss of those grants meant a $1.3 million shortfall.

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The province did provide transition funding of $503,000 for the school division, but it still resulted in a deficit.

MacPherson says the division dipped into its reserve funding to ensure they didn’t have to lay off any teachers or staff during the school year.

“Parents and students are already into the school year, so to pivot in the middle of the year and adjust classes unnecessarily would not be in the best interest of students,” he said.

MacPherson says the board has been told a new funding model from the province is coming in February, when they table a new budget.