Rainbow District School Board Approves 2009-2010 Budget

Rainbow District School Board approved a budget of $168.4 million for the 2009-2010 school year at the regular Board meeting on Monday, June 22, 2009.

Like 60 of 72 school boards in Ontario, Rainbow District School Board continues to experience declining enrolment. Enrolment in 2009-2010 is projected to reach 14,934 students, a loss of 182 students (mostly in the elementary panel).

“Declining enrolment means less revenue,” said Rainbow District School Board Chair Judy Hunda. “With the current economic climate, the Province has also made some funding cuts for the 2009-2010 school year and indicated that more reductions are imminent in the years to come. This will certainly have an impact on our ability to maintain our current level of service. As always, we will continue to manage our resources wisely for the benefit of students in Rainbow Schools.”

The 2009-2010 budget provides the financial framework for Rainbow District School Board to achieve its priorities – ensure success for all students, build public confidence, maintain safe schools, encourage community involvement, enhance communications, nurture staff, provide sound leadership, maximize the use of technology, allocate adequate resources, maintain quality facilities and focus on sustainability.

Provincial funding for 2009-2010 increased by two per cent or $3.5 million overall, primarily to cover the new four-year collective agreements and rising utility costs. Provincial support in 2009-2010 includes a two per cent increase in the benchmark for transportation, a two per cent increase in the benchmark for school operations and stable funding for special education. The Province, however, reduced funding for textbooks, classroom computers, and professional learning for teachers.

The 2009-2010 budget approved by the Board reflects a net decrease in expenditures of $500,000. In order to balance the budget, a total of $1.6 million was withdrawn from Working Fund Reserves.

The 2009-2010 budget includes teachers to meet contractual obligations and for two junior demonstration classes on focused literacy lessons. The Board also approved funding for a Best Start Hub at Churchill Public School in New Sudbury, a central budget for the purchase of textbooks for students, an Innovation Fund to foster best practices and inspire new creative ideas for programming for students in Rainbow Schools, a summer school program at Manitoulin Secondary School and ongoing late buses at Manitoulin Secondary School.

The reduction in expenditures includes 15.5 Literacy Resource Teachers and one Itinerant Early Reading Intervention teacher. These positions, which were over and above provincial grant allocations, were funded from Board reserves over the past three years. The budget also reflects a reduction in one superintendent’s position. Through normal staffing and attrition, the Board currently has 15 elementary teachers remaining on the recall list without assignments for September 2009.

The Province has also allocated money to support energy efficient schools. Rainbow District School Board will receive $1.9 million in 2009-2010 and $2.6 million in 2011-2012. This funding will support energy audits and studies; the installation of small equipment designed to monitor, control and reduce energy use in schools; and the replacement, renewal and installation of energy efficient building components.

A total of 78 per cent of the budget, $129.7 million, has been allocated to salaries and benefits for the Board’s teaching and non-teaching staff. Nine per cent of the budget will go towards supplies and services, eight per cent to fees and contracts, and four per cent to capital and replacement projects in the 2009-2010 school year.

Rainbow District School Board provides quality programs and character development to students in Sudbury, Espanola and Manitoulin Island in 38 elementary and 9 secondary schools. The Board also operates educational programs at the Ruth MacMillan Centre, Frank Flowers School, Senga House, Cecil Facer Secondary School, Alta Bancroft, Alta Cambrian and the N’Swakamok Native Alternative School.

In 2009-2010, George Vanier Public School and Jessie Hamilton Public School will come together in the new Walden Public School, which is currently under construction and scheduled to open in the fall of 2009. The Board will also assume responsibility for the Asquith-Garvey District School Area Board.

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Media Contact:

Diane Cayen-Arnold, Superintendent of Business
Rainbow District School Board, 705-674-3171, ext. 7279 or 1-888-421-2661.