Vision, Mission, and Impact

January 16, 2024

Our Mission

To build a community that empowers the students of Foothills School Division.

Our Vision

The Friends of Foothills Schools Foundation’s vision is to remove financial barriers that impede academic success.

Impact

The initial goals of the FFSF are:

To generate revenue to redistribute into schools.
To remove barriers that may impede academic success.
To promote innovative projects that contribute to a flourishing educational community.
To be recognized as a leader in the community.

What Problem Are We Solving?

Foothills School Division receives 94% of its funding from the Alberta government. The other 6% of revenue is secured through school fees, school-generated funds, outside grants, and investment revenue. FSD balances pressure from rising costs and growing needs for student mental health support to maintain frontline teachers and educational assistants. The Friends of Foothills Schools Foundation offers a creative alternative to generating revenue to lessen these impacts:

School programming opportunities are limited in over-capacity schools;
- École Foothills Composite High School/Alberta High School of Fine Arts is operating at 130% capacity and we expect increased development and population growth in that school’s catchment area.
- The Division has seen an increase in self-reported student anxiety, student suicide risk assessments, and student violence threat assessments while governmental funding has remained the same as it was pre-pandemic.
The Foothills School Division has a budget of $93.9 million in revenue and $95.4 million in planned expenditures for 2022-23.
Staffing costs make up 76% of the annual expenses. These costs are subject to the impact of bargaining across several associations: the Alberta Teachers’ Association, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the Foothills Bus Drivers Association, and the Maintenance Association.
The Division’s reserve levels are severely limited, as they have been used to cover operating costs over the last three years.
Significant inflation has affected fuel, utilities, and bus costs, along with supplies and materials. For example, property and insurance costs have increased close to 400% between 2018 and 2023.
The Division has a $250,000 shortfall in transportation costs every school year and this removes dollars from classroom support.
The Province has also required that Boards have a minimum level of operating reserves at no less than 1% of expenditures as of August 31, 2023.