Manitoba NDP promises inflation-rate increase to school operating funding, says trustees can raise taxes

Manitoba school divisions will see their annual operating funding climb just under the province's inflation rate for 2023, with the government giving trustees the option to raise property taxes if they find thatmoney isn't enough.

Schools in the province will see an average operational funding boost of 3.4 per cent for the upcoming school year, meaning school divisions will receive anadditional$51.5 million, some of which will be used to dealwith increasing enrolment.

However, once new initiatives are included, the total funding increase for kindergarten to Grade 12 schoolsis $104.9 million.

That additional $53.4 million includes$27.5 million for new initiatives like makingschool nutrition programsavailable across the province and $3 million to hire 30 teachers, who will be directed to schools with large elementary class sizes.

"Today, as the minister, I'm proud to say our government is funding schools at the level they need," EducationMinister Nello Altomare told a crowd of students, school administrators and media atJoseph Teres School in Winnipeg on Thursday.

"We're going to deliver stable, predictable funding that meets their operational needsso kids succeed andteachers and all other support staff are supported in the important work that they do."

Property taxes could rise

This year, school divisions won't be penalized for raising taxes if theydeem the provincial grant inadequate.

The former government ordered a multi-year freeze on property taxes, but two school divisions increased them in 2023 anyway, because they felt the government's top-up wasn't sufficient.

Altomare said he wouldn't direct school boards on this issue one way or the other.

"We trust school divisions to make their choices that will impact positively their community," he said.

"They are certainly in touch with their community members, and we trust them to do the right thing when it comes to that," he said, explaining the "right thing" is to supportstudents.

The new funding to hire 30 additional teachers will help the province get closer to its goal of one teacher for every 20 students in early-years classrooms, Altomare said.

As part of this pledge, the province will require school divisions to publish their class sizes online.

The former Progressive Conservative government in 2023 boasted of a total year-over-year funding increaseof 6.1 per cent, or $100.2 million. While the increase was welcomed, some school divisions still made cuts, saying the increasedidn't undo years of underfunding from the same government.The NDP total of $104.9 million more funding is a slightly lower percentage increase in the $1.8-billion public schools budget than the PCs' $100.2 million.

Manitoba Teachers Society president Nathan Martindalesaid educators endured a "little bit of a yo-yoeffect" under the Tory administration with unreliable funding amounts over the years.

Martindalesaid the teachers' society still had to crunch the numbers to determine whether funding allocations are sufficient.

Interim Progressive Conservative Leader Wayne Ewasko, who was education minister under the previous government, said his party had to deal with challenges like the pandemic and a funding formulaheavily based on varying enrolments. He said the 6.1 per cent total funding increase his party ushered in was the biggestin more than 40 years.

Ewasko said that with the freeze on property tax increases gone, Manitobans should brace for higher taxes.

"The education minister is going to turn a blind eye and blame school divisions, and then the premier is going to blame school divisions for that," Ewasko said.

River East Transcona School Division board chairColleenCarswellsaid the division took out a loan last year to cover some of its costs.

She's hopeful the board won't have to resort to such measures again.

"Being able to work with agovernment that wants to hear both our concerns and our successes that we're having is just immeasurable for us," Carswell said.

Funding increases vary

The amount operating funds will increase this year willvary by school division, ranging from a low of 0.6 per cent to a high of 10 per cent for Division Scolaire Franco-Manitobaine. Some of the lowest amounts are for school divisions facingshrinking student populations.

Within Winnipeg, the River East Transcona,Seven Oaks and Louis Riel school divisions will eachreceive a bumpof 4.7-5.6 per cent.

Pembina Trails can expect anincrease of two per cent, while the Winnipeg School Division can anticipate a boost of one per cent and St. James-Assiniboiaan increase of 0.7 per cent.

The overall funding bumpfor each division will be higher than the operating amount because it'll also include the new schoolnutrition programs.

Even still, Ewasko said the upcoming distribution isn't fair for all schools. Ten school divisions are receiving a one per cent operating grant funding increase, or less.

"I think they had time, whilst they were in Opposition to come forward with a plan if they didn't like our plan. I don'tsee a plan, I see delay."

Matt Henderson, Winnipeg School Divisionsuperintendent, wasn't available for an interview, but said in a statement thedivision would deliver the highest quality education "with the fundswe have available to us."

The Manitoba School Boards Association said in a statement the government is making "the right choice" of providing more funding to the educationsector while it's still dealing with significant fiscal pressure.

Itparticularly praised theincreases meeting inflation rates, but warned schools receivingless are still facing tough times.

"Manydivisionswill continue to struggle in light of growing underfunding as has occurred for many years," the association said in a statement. "Notwithstanding, the public has our assurance that the most essential needs of the education system will continue to be met."

Manitoba increasing school funding, giving trustees' right to raise taxes

8 months ago

Duration 1:57

The provincial government is planning to increase annual operating funding and reinstate the ability of school boards to raise taxes if they need more money.