FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 25, 2004

2004–2005 budget receives approval from Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board
The 2004-2005 budget for the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board was approved by trustees at a board meeting held on August 25, 2004. The budget totals $152.5 million, an increase of 3.5% over the previous year’s actual results. Trustees are pleased that the budget is balanced and compliant with all spending envelopes required by the Ministry of Education.

While the budget does manage to maintain existing programs and services, there are some significant improvements incorporated into the budget:

• Under the government’s primary class size initiative, nine additional primary classes will be created. This is the first year of the government’s plan to cap primary class sizes at 20 by the 2007–2008 school year.
• The $1.1 million in savings from the staggered bus initiative will be reinvested into instructional programs and services. The Board has already approved projects that total $440,000. These include:
  • An All Day/Every Day Senior Kindergarten pilot project;
  • Support for at-risk students; and
  • Leadership development.
  A comprehensive listing of proposed initiatives for the remaining $660,000 is being developed and will be finalized pending consultations with educational partners.
• The Board anticipates receiving additional funding from the $128 million that has not yet been allocated to school boards although it is still uncertain what, if any, conditions will be placed on this funding.

“We are very pleased with the budget. Not only have we been able to maintain existing programs, we are able to offer enhanced programs as well. Concern still exists around declining enrolment, and the benchmark increases have not been addressed,” remarks Judy Edgar, Chair of the Board.

The Board will continue to face the challenge of declining enrolment across its jurisdiction as the number of school age children entering the school system both within our district and around the province continues to drop. This will have implications for the Board’s operations and space utilization.

Many cost benchmarks have not been adequately addressed in the funding model as recommended by the Education Equality Task Force. School boards are still working with below market cost benchmarks in the key areas of salaries and benefits, utilities and facility renewal.

The Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board has 46 elementary and eight secondary schools serving 18,700 students, employing 1,067 teachers and 775 support staff. The Board covers a wide geographical area of 7,221 square kilometres bordered by Maynooth to the north, Deseronto to the east, Prince Edward County to the south, and Quinte West to the West.

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For more information, contact:
• David Rutherford, Superintendent of Finance, ext. 2280, at (613) 966-1170 or 1 800 267-4350