Alberta Government Announces 2010 Budget:
What Does it Mean for the CBE?
The Alberta Government announced its 2010 budget today, February 9. While the reductions many were anticipating for Education this year are not a reality, there are still some potential budget implications for the Calgary Board of Education.
The government has said there will be no reductions to the overall budget provided to school boards this year. However, recent wage increases granted to teachers and staff will have an impact on how the CBE is able to allocate its budget dollars.
Alberta Education has asked school boards to pay for the current year’s wage increases for the time being, until Education Minister Dave Hancock is able to follow through on his plan to request additional funds from the Treasury Board to help cover some of these costs. Minister Hancock will be in a position to make this request once the budget has been approved in the legislature, and it will not be known until later this Spring if any of the additional funding will be granted.
These wage increases will have an impact on the CBE budget, should government funding not be forthcoming.
The CBE Board of Trustees believes that public education is an investment in the future that must be managed thoughtfully and responsibly and therefore, the Board must give careful consideration to next steps.
Trustees are pleased to see that Minister Hancock has been responsive to feedback provided by school boards and other stakeholders in this year’s budget. With the cost of wage increases to consider, the Board will be meeting further to discuss how it maintains its focus on student success.
Click here for further information on the Alberta Government budget.
This is definitely good news from the education perspective. A lot of people were fully expecting some deep cuts. I hope that Mr. Hancock will be able to get additional funding...
ReplyDelete