Local school divisions under pressure to cut costs
Many local school divisions in the Battlefords and Meadow Lake area are shaking their heads wondering how they will cut costs. The school divisions received a directive from the province to find 3.5 per cent in savings by reducing staff wages – an added burden after already discovering just last month operating funding for school divisions across the province would be on average 1.2 per cent lower than the year prior.
Echoing the concerns of many divisions around the province, Light of Christ Catholic School Division Chief Financial Officer Jordan Kist said the division is having “a very challenging year.”
The province informed school board chairs April 3 school divisions need to find a total of 3.5 per cent in compensation reductions in 2017-18 and not increase compensation for three years to follow.
“I imagine in the next few weeks we will be meeting with ministry officials in a consultative approach to try and come up with different strategies,” said Kist.