As I approach the end of my seventh year as a Trustee, one thing is certain, the excitement felt as spring break approaches is paired with the hard work of getting to the finish line of another budget planning cycle. This year was no different, and there are several exciting additions to SJASD's budget for 2025–26.
We started the budget cycle by hosting a community consultation to help seek input and feedback earlier in the school year. Through these discussions, Trustees identified several key areas that require additional funding and support. We heard that teacher absences and large class sizes were of concern to our constituents. Budget 2025–26 includes the addition of 10 supply teachers for the months of December to April to proactively address absences during the respiratory season and support capacity at some of the Division's smallest schools. We are also reserving funding for 10 additional teachers to maintain small class sizes in the event of enrolment increases.
While COVID-19 might seem like a long time ago, SJASD is still feeling the impacts from that period. Students are coming into our schools with more needs, and we are responding by hiring a total of 24 Educational Assistants and 1 Speech Language Pathologist to increase student engagement and success in the classroom. We are also adding 1 Assistant Superintendent position to Division Administration, restoring the pre-COVID-19 total number of Assistant Superintendent positions to two while strengthening strategic leadership and addressing workload intensification.
This budget also includes the addition of 1 Information Technology staff member to enhance cyber security efforts, protecting digital assets and the privacy of our community; 1 FTE Michif language Teacher to provide language exposure and instruction to students and staff through the Let's Speak Michif Indigenous Language Program; and 1 Grant Writer to leverage resources available in the public and private sector. We are also lowering school fees for families by eliminating the fundraising fee and supplementing school budgets to reduce and standardize supply fees for students in Early and Middle Years.
Finally, following the Budget Consultation Presentation on February 27, we received feedback that many of our school outdoor facilities require new equipment or refreshes. Hearing these concerns, Trustees are allocating an additional $5,000 to each school to improve outdoor spaces and equipment for our students.
I would once again like to thank our amazing Senior Administrative Team for working so hard and diligently on this budget. And I would also like to thank community members for supporting our work through their valuable input. As they say, it takes a village, and we are all working in complementary ways to set our students up for success at school and in life.
Craig Glennie
School Trustee - Centre Ward
St. James-Assiniboia School Division
For more information on Trustee Glennie, visit his bio.
