Pembina Trails Board of Trustees releases draft 2022/23 budget

• Budget combined operating and capital expenditures $195 million 
• Property tax levy frozen at 2020 levels as directed by the province. A $24 decrease in school taxes on the average homeowner 
• Increase in combined operating and capital expenditures $11,767,161 or 6.4%. Percentage reduction in school taxes on the average homeowner 1.1 per cent or $2 a month. 
• Our board has added 8.6 FTE teaching positions
• We are excited to support Pre-K early learning needs through our summer programming for the 2022/23 school year

Funding sources

The main source of financial support comes from the province. The current provincial directive does not allow our board to raise additional funds through local property taxation. In lieu of raising local property taxes, the province is providing a Property Tax Offset Grant (PTOG) in the net amount of $4,376,029.

Spending increases

• Pembina Trails continues to grow. We have been able to maintain – and in some cases, decrease – class size.
• The impact of the Pembina Trails Teachers Association arbitration award of $12.5 million continues to have a significant impact on our budget and planning.
• We appreciate that the province has provided funding to address this challenge for the 2022/23 school year
• In anticipation of opening two new schools (Bison Run and Pembina Trails Collegiate) we will be appointing the principals as soon as possible.
• Teaching positions for when Bison Run opens on January 1, 2023.
• The cost of running safe schools during COVID-19 came with unforeseen investments such as hiring new teachers, educational assistants, remote learning teachers and caretakers.
• Increase literacy support by 3.5 positions in the early years schools.