REGINA — The Regina Public Schools (RPS) have made cuts to their band program.
The school board reduced funding for the band program by $450,000 in a 6-1 vote for their 2025-2026 budget.
This includes reassigning 4.5 out of 14 full-time employee positions within the school division, while restructuring the program for Grade 6-8 students.
The reductions were made as RPS faced a roughly $2.6 million deficit due to increased inflation and enrolment costs being higher than the amount of additional funding provided by the Ministry of Education.
Per their budget, the RPS noted that per-student funding would be $12,621 for 2025-2026 if funding was adjusted for inflation from 2016-2017
Previous per-student funding budget decisions led to increased pupil-teacher ratios, depleting financial reserves, and more.
Band cuts weren’t targeted
Many of the RPS board trustees noted how they looked at all possibilities for cuts.
“Our commitment to fairness means we must evaluate all departments equally,” said RPS board trustee for subdivision 4, Cindy Anderson.
Anderson noted the school band program received no funding from the provincial government. She also admitted how funding from Saskatchewan has never kept up.
“In my 15 years as a trustee, we have never, and I repeat, never have received adequate funding.“
Board chair Adam Hicks, said the RPS has been forced into these types of situations.
“I can’t even imagine what it would look like if we actually had the amount of money we needed just to keep up with inflation and increased costs on union agreements.”
Hicks referenced five union agreements the RPS has, which they don't receive funding from despite teachers' salaries increasing by one to three per cent after each new agreement.
Because these agreements often match the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) ones for pay, which the RPS does get funding for, this has led to millions of dollars in inflationary pressures.
Opposition
While most trustees were in favour of the budget, Brandon-Shea Mutala, RPS board trustee for subdivision 6, was opposed.
Mutala believed he didn’t see a restructuring but rather a cut that would give fewer teachers more students.
“That’s not the messaging we’ve been giving the public.”
Mutala recommended that RPS dive into their reserves for this year to keep the teachers in the band program.
“This would give us another year to properly analyze the structure of the band program.”
Mutala's proposed idea gained no traction with the budget passing.
The RPS budget will be submitted to the Ministry of Education, and approval is expected by Aug. 31.
After the meeting, Hicks said the school board is committed to conducting an extensive review for the band program over the next year.
This includes looking at best practices across Canada and discussing data shared by an expert.
“[Our goal is] ensuring that we maintain the values in that program for all students.”
As for other reductions, they include:
- Saving roughly $1.07 million by eliminating funding for the high school transition program.
- Reduction in non-instructional expenditures by roughly $810,000. These are “related to facilities maintenance and not funding inflationary pressures impacting facilities and information technology services," per the budget.
- Reducing one structured classroom at Wilfred Hunt School for savings of approximately $240,000. This move is in relation to the RPS adding seven new specialized support classrooms.
