MOOSE JAW — Trustees with Holy Trinity Catholic School Division have approved their 2025-26 budget, which includes the hiring of nearly 20 new staff, including almost nine new teachers.
A board report presented during the recent June meeting showed that projected operating revenues and expenses next year will be $32,499,126, an increase in both categories of $1,214,899, or 3.9 per cent, compared to this year.
Operating revenues
Operating revenues for this year versus next year show:
- Property taxation: $4,132,385 / $3,597,635; a decline of 12.9 per cent
- Grants: $25,147,477 / $27,309,532; an increase of 8.6 per cent
- Tuition and related fees: $6,500 / $6,500
- School-generated funds: $611,370 / $546,005; a decrease of 10.7 per cent
- Complementary services: $378,420 / $406,062; an increase of 7.3 per cent
- External services: $568,485 / $322,482; a decrease of 43.3 per cent
- Other revenue: $233,145 / $310,910; an increase of 33.4 per cent
- Transfers from reserves: $206,445 / $0
The Ministry of Education is increasing the operating grant by $2,162,055 because of a projected enrolment of 2,491 students by Sept. 30, which is expected to increase by 25 students (1.01 per cent) compared to September 2024, the report said.
Furthermore, the province increased the division’s preventative maintenance and renewal (PMR) funding — used for maintaining school buildings — to $703,000 from $541,000.
Complementary services is increasing because the ministry provided funding for the pre-kindergarten program and the national Child Nutrition Development Program, the document continued. Also, external services is increasing because of more funding for Swift Current’s family resource centre, KidsFirst and driver training programs.
Operating expenses
Operating expenses for this year versus next year show:
- Governance: $217,323 / $203,176; a decline of 6.5 per cent
- Administration: $1,592,965 / $1,649,300; an increase of 3.5 per cent
- Instruction (teaching): $22,736,466 / $23,900,297; an increase of 5.1 per cent
- Plant operations and maintenance: $3,394,041 / $3,623,410; an increase of 6.8 per cent
- Student busing: $971,284 / $1,064,350; an increase of 9.6 per cent
- Tuition and related fees: $33,000 / $33,000
- School-generated funds: $561,720 / $542,995; a decrease of 3.3 per cent
- Complementary services: $574,890 / $544,633; a decrease of 5.6 per cent
- External services: $580,208 / $317,830; a decrease of 45.2 per cent
- Other: $622,280 / $620,145; an increase of 0.3 per cent
The school division intends to hire 17.69 full-time equivalent (FTE) more positions next year, an increase of 6.9 per cent compared to this year, the report said.
Next year’s increases include 8.88 FTEs more for school-based teachers, 9.71 FTEs more for educational support staff and one FTE more for plant operations and maintenance. However, supportive instruction professionals will decrease by 1.6 FTEs.
The report noted that salaries and benefits comprise $25,570,009 of the operating budget, or 78.7 per cent of all expenses.
Governance is increasing so trustees can attend three conferences and Holy Trinity can host a provincial conference.
The administration category is increasing because out-of-scope staff (division administration) are receiving a two-per-cent pay increase and in-scope staff are receiving a three-per-cent pay increase, the report said.
Furthermore, the budget is accommodating adjustments to the out-of-scope pay grid and benefits as per provincial and federal government mandates and collective bargaining agreements.
The instruction category is increasing because teachers are receiving a compensation adjustment of two per cent and support staff are receiving three per cent more, said the report.
Furthermore, there will be 142.8 school-based FTE teachers, plus 7.88 FTE more teachers to address classroom complexity, one FTE teacher more for a specialized classroom support project and two FTE more educational assistants for a specialized classroom support project, the document continued.
Moreover, that category includes more funding for a staff faith development initiative, more support for renewing Catholic resources for teachers, a provincial early reading project, cybersecurity enhancements, implementing new high school courses and supporting the province’s new Accessible Act and Plan.
The school division also plans to hire one FTE caretaker to support the new Our Lady of Hope Elementary School on 麻豆视频 Hill.
The ministry is giving Holy Trinity $3,680,000 in capital revenue funding next year, compared to $17,742,795 this year, a decrease of 79.3 per cent. This money will help the division finish construction on Our Lady of Hope, the report said.
Meanwhile, the school division expects to spend $4,745,545 on capital expenditures next year, as compared to $20,218,765 this year, a drop of 76.5 per cent.
The report added that Our Lady of Hope should be completed by September, upgrades to École St. Margaret should be done by November and long-term bus fleet debt should be paid off.
