Renfrew County’s two main school boards will see their funding rise next year. But those increases fall far short of the inflation Canada has seen so far in 2022.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce recently announced “record funding” of $26.6 billion for the province’s school boards.
The funding will cover the 2022-23 school year.
Lecce said the funding will support “learning recovery” and mental health supports for students “to enable them to return to a more normal school year next year.”
Lecce said provincial funding includes a 2.7 per cent increase in the core Grants for Student Needs (GSN) as well as $600 million for a “Learning Recovery Action Plan” that will help students recover from the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Locally, the Renfrew County District School Board will see its funding increase from almost $130.5 million this year to just over $134 million, including an additional $275,000 for “mental health and well-being” and $1.75 million for the “COVID-19 Learning Recovery Fund.”
With a slight increase in enrolment projected for next school year, to 8,979 students, per-pupil funding will rise $308 to $14,931, or 2.1 per cent.
The Renfrew County Catholic School Board, meanwhile, will see funding increase from $73.4 million for 2021-22 to $$76.3 million, including an additional $252,000 for “mental health and well-being” and $1.21 million for the “COVID-19 Learning Recovery Fund.”
Enrolment at the RCCDSB is also expected to rise slightly, to 4,906 students, per-pupil funding will increase by $402 to $15,556, or 2.65 per cent.
Ontario teachers said Lecce’s announcement falls “far short of what is needed to support students over the coming year.”
Statistics Canada has reported cost of living increases of roughly four per cent in the last half of 2021.
In January, the agency reported that at 5.1 per cent, the Consumer Price Index had surpassed five per cent for the first time in 30 years.
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