With a continuing trend of a declining student population, Aspen View Public Schools’ board of trustees unanimously approved its fall 2017-18 budget update during the Nov. 23 meeting.
Secretary treasurer Amber Oko presented the update, noting enrollment did go up slightly compared to the spring projection, but the division is still down 78 students compared to last year.
“It’s 22 students more than our spring projection. But it’s important to note that it’s still a decrease from our 2016-17 actual; we did go down 78 students from last year” she said.
Whispering Hills Primary School (WHPS) saw the greatest decline in student enrollment, at 30 students fewer than projected in the spring. The greatest increase was 34 students enrolling at the Centre for Alternative and Virtual Education (CAVE). Students at the CAVE are not necessarily full-time students, so may bring in less funding from the government.
In total there are 2,767 students enrolled in division schools this year.
The fall budget update showed a revenue increase of $523,213, bringing the to $42.5 million. Oko said the majority of that increase is due to grants that are designated for specific purposes. The division’s deficit increased by $101,721, which is still $271,222 lower that the 2016-2017 fall budget deficit.
Oko said there was “a few staff adjustments” compared to last year, and salaries were reduced by $242,500, or three per cent.
“We are still decreasing from last year, but not a huge impact at the school level,” she said.
Jeff Alliston, Hawkins Epp Dumont associate, also presented the division’s independent auditors report. Alliston summarized the division “remains in healthy financial position.”
The report showed an overall 6.5 per cent decrease in salaries, wages and benefits between 2016 and 2017, a $2.1 million cut.
Alliston noted “it’s reasonable” the division would have a 2.5 per cent reduction in certified salaries, as the decrease in enrollment was 2.7 per cent.
Trustee April Bauer moved to approve the fall budget update for submission to Alberta Education. The motion was unanimously supported.
Board vice chair Candy Nikipelo said in an interview she was happy the deficit “is as low as it is,” given the number of students lost across the division.
“That’s the plight of rural school divisions – we keep losing students, but we have to offer the same amount of services or increased services,” she said. “We have had to make cuts in absolutely every area of our division, from administration to supplies to staff.”
She added the decrease in enrollment at WHPS is really an anomaly, and the division has no idea why there was such a deviation from projections.
“They go on their predictions from what the numbers are going to be coming up and they have no idea, it just seems like an anomaly,” she said, adding the fall budget update was very reasonable, and “nothing major” jumped out that was “uncalled for.”
