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Local school divisions under pressure to cut costs

Apr 11, 2017 | 5:00 PM

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.

In the province’s recent budget, Light of Christ School Division already had a 5.4 per cent decrease in the 2017-18 school year in operating funding, which amounts to just over $1 million.

So reducing staff/employee compensation is an added challenge

“In the letter, it does indicate that staffing levels can’t be leveraged to achieve the 3.5 per cent mandate that has been put forward. That being said, that doesn’t necessarily dictate how we need to meet our operating budget,” said Kist. “It’s a two-fold approach in that sense. That 3.5 per cent savings must be found in terms of compensation moving forward. But we still have an operating budget to balance.”  

The division will follow the province’s mandate, but knows there are already contracts in place.

“We’ve negotiated these agreements in good faith, and they have been duly negotiated,” said Kist. “I think that is more the difficult piece. Asking the question of whether or not somebody is willing to entertain a 3.5 per cent decrease in pay is quite straight forward, but we take pride in our negotiations and relationships we have with our different employee groups. I think that is the difficult part to reopen them.”

After the Easter break, administration will reconvene to try to find savings and balance the budget.

The Living Sky School Division is also worried about the province’s directive.

“We will be having conversations with our employee groups in the very near future to discuss the compensation cuts. There is no intention to break contracts that have already been negotiated,” said spokesperson Shannon Lessard in a statement Tuesday.

She added the current provincial teaching agreement will expire at the end of August and negotiations for a new agreement will start across the province in May.

“Along with the compensation-cut discussions, the division faces a $6 million deficit for the 2017-18 school year,” said Lessard. “We will be faced with difficult budget decisions in the coming months, but will ensure we communicate and consult with our stakeholders during the budget development process. Student well being and achievement will be kept at the forefront of all decision-making.”

Layoffs a possibility

The province’s Finance Minister Kevin Doherty, said school divisions could look at different options to find the 3.5 per cent reduction in compensations, such as finding savings in benefit programs or overtime, as an example. He said they can also go back to the table with employees who have already signed contracts to try to renegotiate.

“They will have to try to find some savings within their budget,” said Doherty. “If layoffs are part of that, we are not taking that off the table at all.”

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) is also concerned how to tackle a 3.5 per cent reduction in compensation, and whether that is even feasible.

President Patrick Maze said in a statement most local agreements are in effect for two or more years before they expire.

“Since the release of the provincial budget on March 22, 2017, provincial government and school division communications have highlighted the tough decisions to be made in response to funding cuts and mandated compensation targets for Pre-K to Grade 12 education,” he said. “The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation is very concerned about the impacts these continuing announcements have on students, parents, teachers, principals and relationships in the sector.

“The Federation and its members expect that resources will remain focused on the classroom, and that the provincial government and school boards will work together to solve these budget challenges, while mitigating any potential negative effects on schools and communities,” he added.

The STF president added negotiations between the Teachers’ Bargaining Committee and the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee will start in May. “Until such time as a new agreement is reached, the old agreement remains in effect. Similarly, local agreements between individual school divisions and teacher local associations are in effect after they expire until new agreements are reached. Most local agreements in the province will not expire for two or more years.”  

Northwest School Division (NWSD), in the Meadow Lake area, said it will take time for the division to assess what it plans to do following the province’s notice.

Spokesperson Kaitlin Harman said the division is already facing a budget decrease for the 2017-2018 school year of 2.26 per cent, or $1,302,636.

 “A decrease of this amount will result in adjustments to how the Board of Education and school division operate. Where staffing decreases are necessary, the board is committed to do so through attrition and retirements, and to limit the impact on our classrooms,” she said.

Harman added the board will continue to work with administration, school staff and School Community Councils – local parent/community groups involved with NWSD schools – to ensure students have “the best opportunity for success, and that we continue to make progress on our local and provincial education priorities.”

“As more information about changes to the education sector is provided by the Ministry of Education and provincial government, the board will continue to share openly with our staff and school communities,” Harman added.

 

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @battlefordsNOW