Huron-Superior school board passes budget, director Stadnyk says farewell

Trustees of the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board (H-SCDSB) approved the board’s 2017-2018 budget at their meeting Wednesday.

The budget came in at $78.3 million. 

Highlights of the budget, said Chris Spina, H-SCDSB superintendent of business, include Local Priority Fund (LPF) money in the amount of $779,000.

To balance the budget, there were reductions in teaching staff and educational assistants. The monies received from the Local Priority Fund (LPF) allowed the Board to offset some of the reductions.

The LPF funding allows the Huron-Superior Board to hire three teachers, one clerical worker, one physical plant worker and six educational assistants.

Another highlight of the budget, Spina said, is an increase in Junior Kindergarten enrolment, which will positively affect funding.

The increase in JK enrolment is a trend which has continued for the Huron-Superior board for the past few years.

Spina said there are currently 317 children enrolled in JK, with 360 to 370 children expected to enrol by September.

The budget also includes more special education staffing to help with children in need, ‘at-risk” students and adult education.

There is also a two per cent increase to the Student Transportation Grant and the School Operations Allocation to manage increases in natural gas, electricity and other costs.

There is a projected enrolment of 3,570 elementary students, with 1,023 at the secondary level.

Highest expenditures within the 2017-2018 H-SCDSB budget include:

• Classroom teachers ($33.1 million)
• School operations/maintenance ($7.1 million)
• Teacher Assistants ($5.9 million)
• Pupil Transportation  ($5.1 million)
• Principals and Vice Principals ($3.3 million)
• Board administration costs ($3 million)
• Early Childhood Educators and textbooks/supplies (over $1.3 million each)
• Computers (over $1million)

Wednesday’s meeting was also the last for John Stadnyk, who officially retires as H-SCDSB director of education June 30.

He will be succeeded by Rose Burton Spohn, a current H-SCDSB superintendent, effective July 1.

Stadnyk officially announced his intention to retire at the November 2016 board meeting.

Stadnyk was first hired as a teacher by the former Sault Ste. Marie Roman Catholic Separate School Board in 1976.

He became the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board’s director in 2005.

“We have an opportunity to change kids lives, change kids outcomes, provide opportunities, education is a great equalizer, so just to have had that experience has been very rewarding, I’m grateful for that,” Stadnyk told SooToday in November.