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Superintendent Mark Davidson - Medicine Hat Public School Division (photo courtesy Bob Schneider)
Collecting Feedback for MHPSD Trustees

MHPSD holds town halls starting next week regarding the upcoming budget

Jan 24, 2020 | 3:43 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Families with children in the Medicine Hat Public School Division are encouraged to come out to a series of mini-town hall meetings at their schools starting next week.

According to the division, they experienced a $3.8 million decrease in the province’s 2019-20 budget to several educational grants received by public school jurisdictions.

The division’s financial reserves had enough to cover the reductions over the past year.

Superintendent Mark Davidson says the forums will give parents a chance to hear the current budget, feedback on what they value most in schools, and what they want to protect if there are significant cuts in the upcoming provincial budget.

“The Board will also be presenting what the current budget reality is, where the money is currently spent within the budget so people have an understanding going into the conversation. How much is spent on teachers, and how much is spent on other services to support students, utilities, all of that.”

Davidson hopes families with children in the schools and families who will soon have children in school come out to a town hall.

“The board has really worked hard with administration to make sure the report gives enough detail to be open about what we spend where but isn’t ridiculous in its detail.”

The mini-town halls will run throughout the rest of January and into February starting next week at Crescent Heights High School.

They will take place during the school council meetings.

A schedule can be found by visiting this link.