Enrolment projections down, board passes budget while projecting deficit

Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board (H-SCDSB) trustees approved the board’s 2021-22 budget at its regular monthly meeting  (the last of the current school year) held virtually Wednesday evening.

Justin Pino, H-SCDSB superintendent of business, said the $74,508,659 budget meets board and Ministry of Education guidelines in “enhancing student achievement and wellbeing, ensuring value for money and taking a conservative approach.”

Projected H-SCDSB enrolment figures for September show a decrease of 14 elementary and 81 secondary students. However, Pino told the board its JK enrolment projection is up by 32 students as compared to last year.

“Any increases in enrolment from what is budgeted will provide the board with additional funds as September rolls around. For budgeting purposes we have staffed conservatively as well as we continue to monitor enrolment leading up to September,” Pino said.

“Needless to say, school board planning has been, and continues to be, challenging through the pandemic,” Pino stated.

Because of the continued extra expenses school boards are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry is allowing boards to run an in-year deficit budget of two per cent of their operating budgets without requiring the Minister of Education’s approval.

However, school boards are required to budget half that amount, or one per cent, throughout the first half of the new school year.

The H-SCDSB, as a result, is projecting an in-year deficit of up to $674,066 in compliance with that provincial direction.

The government also states school boards must continue to offer remote learning options, meaning the Huron-Superior board will continue to offer instruction through its Holy Trinity Virtual Academy for elementary school students.

Budget highlights include:

• the Ministry adjusting salary benchmarks by one per cent to meet salary increases based on recently ratified central collective agreements
• a two per cent cost increase to help with managing increases in electricity, natural gas, facility insurance and other costs
• COVID support funding for the ongoing need for technology resources and mental health supports
• funding for Specialist High Skills Major programs, in which Grade 11 and 12 students gain sector-specific skills to prepare them for apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace  
• funding for After-School Development Programs, designed for students with autism spectrum disorder and other students with special education needs 
• funding for the Integrated Services for Northern Children program, designed for children and youth with physical, psychological and educational challenges in rural and remote communities in northern Ontario
• $359,000 for the board’s Math Strategy, to allow the H-SCDSB to maintain its math lead and two math facilitators

“I’d like to thank the whole team for putting this work into the budget. I know it was a challenging one this year but we are living during a pandemic and we want the best for our school community, for our staff, for our parents, for the kids, and we want to put them first and I think that this budget shows that we are committed to providing a great Catholic education for our children and supporting the families as well,” said Sandra Turco, H-SCDSB chair.