The Red Deer Catholic Regional School Division's 2011-12 budget is six per cent higher this year than in 2010-11. This year's budget, shared with trustees last week at the board's regular meeting, comes in at about $75 million compared to the $71-million budget the previous year.The division estimates it will have a deficit of about $500,000 for the 2011-12 school year.Rod Steeves, secretary-treasurer for the division, said last spring the division made the decision to go into its reserves and fund the necessary teaching positions to keep class sizes manageable. It will be spending $2.3 million from reserves for seven additional teachers as well as support staff to give students the assistance they need. The division has budgeted $600,000 more this year than last for the additional teachers, plus an additional $800,000 over last year's budget for support staff. Part of the $2.3 million in funding will also go toward the coaching for learning program, which has been successful in boosting test scores for students.This year, the division will spend a total of $39 million on teachers and another $13 million on support staff.ìWe decided that we wanted to carry on at those same levels so we basically decided that we were going to sink a lot of our money into Ö keeping teachers in front of students,î Steeves said.Enrolment has gone from 6,753 students last year to 7,077 students this year, a 4.8 per cent increase.The division also expects to spend about $13.5 million in services, contracts and supplies, most of which will go toward maintenance of schools. That figure is up about $700,000 from last year.Overall, Steeves is pleased with the budget.ìI'm quite happy with it. The fact was that we were going to have to go into our reserves by significant amounts in order to maintain where we were Ö with the extra number of students. We will be able to provide more support, we will be able to have funds for textbooks and those ongoing types of expenses that we really aren't provided funding for (from the provincial government),î he said.Adriana LaGrange, the board chair, said board members and staff were grateful for the extra $900,000 the division received to fund additional teachers this year. It meant the division didn't have to dip into its reserves as much as it had originally anticipated to keep teaching staff levels at what the division considers appropriate for the number of students it has.LaGrange said the increase in enrolment was a pleasant surprise, considering estimates last spring only pegged enrolment increasing one per cent.ìIt's increased our overall revenue numbers and it has allowed us to add teachers,î she said. Overall, LaGrange said the board was happy with the budget.ìWe're cautiously optimistic that the government is going to follow through with their predictable, sustainable funding for education, and if that's the case, then we'll be able to continue providing the great service that we provide,î she said.The board also approved the transfer of $678,409 in reserves to various accounts including $101,648 to operations and maintenance, $236,342 to transportation, $101,648 to administration and $238,771 to school and instruction.Update on Facility Master PlanDetails of the division's Facility Master Plan were shared with trustees, including an anticipated $750,000 to $800,000 in upgrades to the HVAC system at St. Marguerite Bourgeois School in Innisfail. The project is a joint venture with Chinook's Edge School Division, as the complex is also home to Ecole John Wilson Elementary School.Ken Jaeger, supervisor of support services with RDRCS, said the figure is only preliminary, until engineers can decide what components need to be replaced. He said the upgrades would likely take place in 2012-13.A session in March 2010 determined what initial upgrades would be needed.Allan Tarnoczi, associate superintendent with the CESD, said his division anticipates contributing about $2.2 million to the joint project. The level of money each division is contributing to the project is based on several factors, including the size of the building, what the building has been used for previously and what its intended use will be in the future.The FMP also included information about the division's plan to update to energy efficient lights, change door hardware and upgrade roofing at schools across the division.
