Less students will mean less funding for School District 8 in the next school year.
SD8’s preliminary operating budget for the 2025-26 school year plans for a 1.3 per cent decrease in operating revenues ($800,000) and a 1.4 per cent decrease in operating expenses ($900,000), for a total balanced budget of $66 million.
Operating funds are going down due to an overall decline in enrolment by about 66 – for K-12 and alternate school students, there’s a projected decrease of 74.1875 full-time equivalent students, with a 8.3125 increase for online learning FTEs.
For 2025-26, SD8 anticipates 4,322 regular K-12 students, 18 alternate school students, and 270 online learning students. Preliminary budget enrolment numbers are based on estimated enrolment figures submitted to the Ministry of Education and Child Care (MECC) on or before Feb. 15.
Most school districts’ operating funds come from enrolment-based funding from MECC. For the 2025-26 school year, MECC is increasing funding for standard, continuing, and alternate student FTEs, and the funding for unique student needs, by 1.1 per cent.
Salaries and benefits will decrease by 1.3 per cent, about $780,000 less. Of the $66-million budget, salaries and benefits make up $57,122,703. Services and supplies will also decrease, by 1.7 per cent, to make up $8,906,792 of the budget.
Special purpose funds from MECC are projected to decline by $300,000, to $14.2 million. These funds are separate from operating funds, and are used for specific, defined purposes. Special purpose funds include the Feeding Futures Funds, Strong Start, Student and Family Affordability Fund, and Mental Health in Schools.
Secretary-Treasurer Cathy MacArthur said the preliminary budget focuses on the priorities identified in the district’s strategic plan, and by the public in this year’s budget survey.
“The 2025-26 budget survey indicated that numeracy, literacy, mental health, and school safety and belonging are the highest-ranked focus areas,” MacArthur told the Valley Voice. “Classroom size/composition and counselling/mental health supports were the top ranked areas for use of resources, followed by athletic programs and arts programs.”
Twenty individuals completed the survey, with 10 respondents being parents and guardians, and the rest being staff and educational partners.
