Foothills School Division Annual Budget

Our 2023-2024 Budget was approved by the Board of Trustees on May 31, 2023

View the 2023-2024 Budget Summary here

View the 2023-2024 Budget Infographic here

The Foothills School Division Lead Team has completed a thorough review of the stakeholder engagement feedback. FSD received several responses to the Ideas that Make Cents engagement opportunity. With the understanding that our budget would be modest, we communicated that we would be faced with needing to adjust our allocations. We asked our community to prioritize where we should invest our funds and create efficiencies. Here are the significant responses below: 

• Increase frontline staff wherever possible (teachers and educational assistants)
• Leverage parent volunteers (coaching, traffic guards, fundraising)
• Minimize transportation routes, find efficiencies
• Reduce professional learning days
• Increase advocacy efforts
• Facility rentals
• Increase recycling and sustainability programs
• Encourage students to bring their own devices 

We appreciate these suggestions and will look to implement, where feasible. 

THE SIGNIFICANT BUDGET CHANGES
As compared to 2021-2022 budget 

• The Alberta Education Assurance Funding Model and changes to the funding framework, including changes to requirements on minimums and maximums on reserve levels
• A focus on supporting the key priorities identified in our  3 Year Education Plan
• Deficit spending an additional $1 million from operating reserves. 
• Prioritizing current front-line staffing levels across the division 
• Implementing new junior high Cameron Crossing program funded through Mental Health in Schools Pilot Grant 
• Meeting mandated and negotiated salary and allowance increases 
•  Insurance costs budgeted a decrease of approximately $100,000 
• Additional division office provision to support schools; curriculum and student supports. 
• Certified staff levels increased by 10.6 FTE 
• Benefit costs increases by provider of 10.3% plus an additional 15% on Extended Disability Benefit (EDB) premiums 
• Increases to Payroll Benefits:  CPP, EI and WCB 
• Increasing leave costs as we are seeing significant increases in staff accessing leave provisions (e.g., sick leave)  
• New division-wide telephone system to replace antiquated system. 
• New curriculum revenue and expenditures added to budget. 
• Fuel Contingency Grant estimated at $125,000.