$25M more for province’s schools

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This article was published 29/01/2015 (3373 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Education Minister Peter Bjornson is pumping an extra $25 million into the system for the 2015-16 school year with hopes of boosting math and literacy skills, career development, preparation for post-secondary education and culturally relevant programming for aboriginal students.

The annual increase in the province’s share of operating grants for the $2.16-billion public schools system once again matches the rate of provincial growth and comes in just under two per cent.

“Challenging times are not the times to make reckless cuts, as our critics would have us do,” Bjornson told a news conference Thursday. “Mr. (Tory Leader Brian) Pallister believes we should cut education funding.”

Bjornson said the province will continue to build new schools, labs and shops and move toward ever-smaller class sizes, while targeting spending to its greatest needs, such as improving math and literacy in which Manitoba students sit last in national and international tests.

He’s told school boards they must have no more than four per cent of their revenues in surplus — Bjornson said there is $18.9 million out there in 22 divisions in excess of that cap.

“I directed school divisions to ensure that excess surplus is directed into classrooms and tax mitigation,” he said.

Deputy minister Gerald Farthing clarified the surplus is distinct from reserve funds divisions can set aside and accumulate to pay for major projects, and that any surplus should be spent on one-time improvements such as equipment. School boards should not spend the money on staff, which would create ongoing costs in future years, he said.

Bjornson said he wants the eight school divisions with more than 5,000 students to limit spending on administration to 3.5 per cent of revenues, down from the current limit of four per cent. However, the province’s FRAME (Financial Reporting and Accounting in Manitoba Education) report shows the six Winnipeg divisions, Brandon and Steinbach-based Hanover already spend only 2.8 per cent to 3.4 per cent of their revenues on divisional administration.

But this year there was no tough talk from the NDP, no admonitions against raising taxes and no declarations the school trustees have all the money they need to avoid raising school property taxes.

“School divisions will have decisions to make,” Bjornson said, but, “We’re not looking at a cap” on property tax increases.

The funding includes a zero guarantee that gives divisions at least the same grant money as the previous year. Without that guarantee, 17 school divisions would have received less money this year under the funding formula, which relies heavily on enrolment and assessment bases.

On specific policies, “We’re going to keep the moratorium” on closing schools, unless the entire community agrees a school’s enrolment has become too small to stay open, the minister said.

The NDP leadership vote March 8 will not change anything in Thursday’s announcement, Bjornson said: “This is the money they will get.”

Teachers and trustees were cautiously optimistic about Bjornson’s plans, and lauded the government for increasing grants despite the economic situation.

Manitoba Teachers’ Society president Paul Olson said Bjornson had not been tough with trustees this year the way NDP ministers have in past years. “There’s a clear expectation from the government that there will be increased taxation — (trustees) should not be beaten up by their constituents,” Olson said.

Olson said he’s always happy to see the province recognize diversity in schools and to boost math and literacy. “Enriched is good news,” he said.

Manitoba School Boards Association president Floyd Martens said defining what administration will be tightened needs to be clarified. “It will depend on what is classified as administration,” he said.

Not lifting the moratorium, and thus not restoring to school boards the right to close small schools after extensive consultation, “puts restrictions on what the school boards’ flexibility may be,” Martens said.

The opposition Tories had no immediate response.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca