The Upper Grand District School Board has adopted what is being described as a “balanced budget” with trustees approving the $351,129,761 financial plan on June 24.
Trustee Marty Fairbairn, who headed up the budget committee, thanked finance department staff, including superintendent Janice Wright and budget chief Sheila Parker for their work.
“All the good things are in this budget, the international students market is a booming business, an environmental lead position is added, the introduction of the pre-IB program in September for Grade 9 students is supported and there is more,” he said. “We have included additions to our educational assistant complement and special education resource teachers. “
“In my view this is a good News budget for our schools and students,” director of education Martha Rogers said. “It is both a compliant and balanced budget. Thanks go to all senior staff for holding the line where required, reducing where appropriate and for their vision of where to increase our supports for students and to increase operation efficiency.”
The capital budget of the board is estimated at $42,378,093.
The budget will facilitate the hiring of more educational assistants and special education teachers, supports for elementary students, specifically in Grade 7 and 8, with a focus on math through an increase of one instructional coach and 2.1 special education teachers, continued funding for parents and community partners programs Time2Read and Read4Success and funding to assist individual children who cannot afford to participate in programs or activities. It also includes funding for transporting rural students to Sports events, and for teams and individual students who go to provincial or international competitions, increased funding for professional development for teachers as well as for support staff to introduce an electronic document management system and increases in the number of full day Kindergarten teachers, teacher librarians, and new principals.
