Budget planning for the 2026-2027 school year
The HPEDSB vision is inspiring and innovating for a bright future, with a mission to educate and empower students with skills for success.
The budget for the upcoming school year will align with the Strategic Plan which includes the following priorities:
- Strengthening Foundational and Real-world Skills
- Advancing Indigenous Education and Reconciliation
- Fostering Critical Thinking, Adaptability and Innovation
- Promoting Citizenship, Well-being and Safe Environment
The Ministry of Education has a June 30 deadline for school boards to submit their budgets for the upcoming school year. Components of budget requirements and related expenses are developed between January and April, then comparisons to funding revenues are done in May and June to develop a complete budget. This entire process is dependent upon the timely release of funding information, including Core Education Funding (school board funding) from the Ministry of Education, to meet the June 30 deadline for budget submission to the Ministry of Education.
The Physical Planning, Finance and Building Committee reviews budget development and ultimately provides a recommendation to the Board of Trustees regarding the budget for the upcoming school year. Board approval is required before the budget can be submitted to the Ministry of Education.
Budget development timeline
January
• Review the budget development timetable
• Community consultation
February
• Review the budget risks for upcoming year
• Establish budget guidelines and priorities (in alignment with the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan)
• Review and develop various budget documents (information and format)
March
• Review community consultation
• Review preliminary staffing requirements
• Evaluate cost optimization in alignment with the Technical Guide
April
• Finalize enrolment and staffing projections
• Review and develop revenue projections based on Core Education and Responsive Education Programs (REP) inputs
May
• Review the preliminary budget
June
• Review the final budget
• Recommend the final budget to the Board of Trustees
Public consultation
Public consultation is an important part of the budget planning process. Internal and external stakeholders have the opportunity to provide input on their priorities for the upcoming school year. This input, along with internal/staff projections and Strategic Plan priorities, inform budget planning.
We invite you to participate in a ThoughtExchange, which is open from January 14 to January 23, 2026.
2025-2026 school year budget
At the public Board meeting on Monday, June 23, 2025, the budget was presented to the Board of Trustees. Board members approved the 2025-2026 budget, which was balanced, showing no surplus or deficit. HPEDSB staff developed the budget based on forecast enrolment, board priorities and funding allocation. Throughout the budget process, HPEDSB staff utilized the following to achieve the balanced budget:
- Aligned expenses to funding
- School staff: Staffed to meet both Ministry regulation and collective agreement requirements
- Temporary funding: Expenses reduced where funding has not been confirmed
Budget documents for reference