The regional executive director of the Strait Regional Centre for Education says a 4.5 per cent increase- a little more than $4 million- is coming in time for the upcoming school year.
The SCRE’s $96.3 million budget for 2019-20 was approved in June.
Paul Landry, the SRCE’s regional executive director, tells The Hawk the increased funding will let them do a lot more.
“It’s about growth and expansion of supports, services and programs that’ll help our children- and our youth- achieve success in our schools.”
Landry says they’re using the money to expand services.
He says they’re adding student support positions, Reading Recovery, and the expansion of Skilled Trades, SchoolsPlus, and pre-primary programs.
“With the budget increase, we’ve been able to provide expanded programming across the region,” he says. “Basically, we have more people in more positions, which is certainly positive news for the Strait Region.”
Landry says 13.5 new teaching positions have been added, but they’ll have nine fewer teachers in the 2019-20 school year- down from 517 in 2018-19 to 508- due to a drop in enrolment of 258 students.
He says those losses will be covered by retirements and attrition, so there will be no actual job losses.
