CHAT News File Photo

By Brendan Miller

Public school division could be forced to cut staff for next year

Mar 28, 2023 | 4:24 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – There may be fewer teachers and bigger classes in Medicine Hat Public School Division this fall.

Last week the school division held a short in-person meeting with temporary and probationary contract teachers to talk about budget challenges, including a reduction in funding from the Alberta government. Money provided to the school board to address lower-than-expected enrolment during the pandemic is coming to an end.

The province, however, says the school division will receive the same amount of funding next year as it did this year.

The school division is also dealing with a slow and steady decline in students. They have 400 fewer students over the past five years and that trend is expected to continue until 2033.

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Based on these challenges, staff were told the school division expects it will be employing fewer teachers this fall and there will not be a position available for everyone currently employed.

The division says they felt it was necessary to give staff as much time to explore other options if a teaching position isn’t available for them.

Fewer teachers would result in a modest increase in average class sizes however the division says they are expected to remain lower than urban school centre averages.

Education Minister Adriana LaGrange tells CHAT News the school division is projected to receive the same amount of funding for the next school year as it did this year.

“I have met with the Medicine Hat Public School Division several times on this matter and I remain concerned about their initial budget assumptions,” reads a statement from the minister.

LaGrange has asked her department to assess and confirm the accuracy of the board’s budget assumptions adding no staffing decisions will be made until her department’s review is complete.

Catherine Wilson, public school division board chair, says they will be prepared to make further comments once a full review of the funding framework is complete and a budget has been prepared.

Finalization of the budget is expected to happen this May.