Additional funding from the provincial government will not be enough to cover school fees if Bill 1 is passed, according to Rocky View Schools.
Bill 1: An Act to Reduce School Fees was tabled earlier this month proposing to eliminate bus fees for eligible students who live more than 2.4 kilometres away from a designated school, and removing the cost of instructional supplies and materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, print and paper costs.
As part of the Bill, Rocky View Schools division would be receiving $3.5 million from the Alberta Government to subsidize instructional resource fees and school bus fees, but as one of the fastest growing jurisdictions in Alberta the additional funding will not cover all of the costs, according to officials.
“The bad news for us is that funding for this envelope is based on RVS’s 2015/16 enrolment profile – meaning the jurisdiction will need to find more than $254,000 as it will serve over 2,200 more students than it did in 2015/16,” stated Darrell Couture, associate superintendent of business and operations.
Rocky View Schools’ student population increase by 1,200 for the 2016/17 school year with 25 per cent of the growth in Cochrane and officials are projecting an additional 1,000 students for the 2017/18.
“We can’t charge fees so we will have to find the money internally,” Spanier said.
Rocky View Schools currently charges $105 to $145 per student in Grades 1 to 12 for instructional resource fees, with max of $360 per family, and school bus fees range from $230 to $775 – dependant on distance from the school and if the student lives in the RVS boundary.
The division sets fees annually and the board will review the transportation cost for students who live less than 2.4 kilometres from school.
“We will continue to provide transportation services but won’t get any money,” Spainer said.
“If fees change or stay the same, that is the board decision. So this year when we bring the schedule forward, it just won’t include students who live 2.4 kilometres away or greater.”
Cam Westhead, MLA for Banff-Cochrane said as these details come to light he is planning further discussions with Education Minister David Eggen and Rocky View Schools officials to address concerns of the division.
“I don’t have an answer at this point,” Westhead said.
The new carbon levy will also affect the school division with Rocky View Schools having to “absorb” the cost of $165,000 for natural gas and $300,000 for school bus diesel fuel.
“Overall the board anticipates minimal disruption to the classroom,” Couture said.
Spanier said the division does not know specifics at this time but class sizes shouldn’t go up and they are hoping there will not be degradation in services.
“I’ve heard the concerns of RVS and will do my best to address those concerns,” Westhead said.
The good news is RVS anticipates provincial funding rates to remain the same with the exception of an additional $730,000 for infrastructure, maintenance and renewal (IMR) funding to address the backlog of school building maintenance projects.
Couture also said the government’s decision to continue to fund enrolment growth is a “relief.”
Rocky View School’s 2017/2018 budget is expected to be tabled in late spring.
