'Not sustainable': Inflation top of mind for another Sask. school division as budget worries continue

Prairie Valley School Division offices are seen in this file photo. (Stefanie Davis/CTV News Regina)

Prairie Valley School Division is the latest to voice its concern over education budget constraints, in a letter sent to the parents of its students.

NDP education critic MLA Matt Love read an excerpt from the letter during Question Period on Monday.

“As we told the Minister of Education during a meeting on March 24, 2022, funding increases, well below the rate of inflation, have created a situation that is not sustainable,” the letter read.

“This is a growing list of school divisions sending these warnings to parents to expect cuts due to the Sask. Party’s budget,” Love said, during a scrum Monday.

“We’ve not seen a Sask. Party government treat education like an investment … they’ve treated it like an expense.”

Minister of Education Dustin Duncan said the process of forming school division budgets is still ongoing.

“They have two additional months to present a budget to myself in order for me to sign off on that,” he explained.

“I would note for the record, Prairie Valley School Division is slated to see a two per cent increase in funding. That works out to nearly two million dollars. So they will receive additional money this year and I look forward to seeing what their budget looks like.”

Janet Kotylak, board chairperson of the Prairie Valley School Division, said she recently had a “frank and candid” discussion with Minister Duncan about the budget, in a statement posted to the division’s website Monday.

“The Minister listened carefully and promised to keep the lines of communication open,” Kotylak said. “This will be a tough few years as learning recovers from a global pandemic and as we respond to the pressures of inflation and rising operating costs.”

Inflation costs were also top of mind for the opposition, as Love said the division also saw an increase of $152,000 in utility costs on top of other rising expenses.

“$250,000 more for fuel and not a single buck from the Sask. Party to offset these additional costs,” he said.

Love also said Prairie Valley claimed in their letter to parents that the division had not been provided any additional funding for social workers, addictions counselors and psychologists.

“Students have been through two really challenging years of pandemic learning,” Love said.

“So school divisions are looking to make sure that supports are there for students and they’re the ones making hard decisions without the adequate stable funding coming from the government.”

Duncan defended the government’s allocation of funding for education in this year's budget.

“While there will be additional supports for students on top of the $23 million that’s provided to pay for the two per cent increase in the teachers collective bargaining agreement there is $6 million dollars in supports for learning,” he said.

“There is $7 million dollars available to school divisions for additional [education assistants], 200 [education assistant] positions that will be funded. School divisions have the ability to apply for those dollars.”

The Chinook School Division also voiced concerns about possible budget shortfalls in early April. The division said it is projecting a $4.2 million deficit for the 2022-23 school year, and that it may have to cut education assistants’ paid hours.