Saskatchewan Government needs to rule out clawing back education funding in September: NDP

The NDP is calling on the government to rule out clawing back funding from school boards once enrollment numbers are finalized at the end of September.

“As so many parents struggle with the choice about whether to send their kids to school in September, school divisions are worried about losing funding from the province if their enrolment numbers drop off,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili. “After fumbling our back-to-school plan so badly and causing so much anxiety and concern for kids, families and teachers, the Sask. Party needs to ensure that our schools don’t lose funding because of their failures.”

The government bases education funding on projected numbers for total enrolment, including distance learning and home-schooling students. Funding for school divisions is then updated based on the actual number of students enrolled according to the numbers provided by the school divisions on September 30.

School divisions in Manitoba are also calling on the province to provide base funding on the premise that every student that was in school last year will be returning this year. 

“It would be wrong for the government to scale back funding after they produced the worst back-to-school plan in the country,” said Meili. “After years of cuts and failures from the Sask. Party in education, we need the government to at least commit to not making things worse for school funding, especially in the midst of a pandemic. School boards and students shouldn’t have to pay the price for the Sask. Party’s failures.”

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