Education sector says Sask. K-12 budget insufficient

The Saskatchewan government increased operational funding to K-12 education by 2.5 per cent in the 2023-24 budget, but the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) and the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) say that falls short of what's needed.

"Saskatchewan students are losing out with this budget," STF president Samantha Becotte said after the budget release on Wednesday.

The province's 27 school divisions are receiving $2.04 billion in operating funding in 2022-23, a $49.4-million increase from last year's budget. 

The STF said that with inflation, a five per cent increase to operational funding was the minimum required to maintain last year's operating levels. Becotte said a 2.5 per cent increase amounts to a cut.

"In the end, students are going to have less support next year. School divisions are going to be tasked with difficult decisions once again to decide what programs or what supports are going to ultimately be cut," she said.

"I hear from teachers regularly who are feeling burnout because everything just falls on their plate and they want what's best for kids. They want to work with families, but there just isn't the time and the resources and the professional supports."

Becotte said the STF wants funding that does not just meet current needs, but ensures long-term success for students.

"They talked about creating a budget that's growth that works for everyone, but it's not working for our students."

The STF also highlighted a report from the Fraser Institute that said per-student funding in Saskatchewan has seen the province go from first in 2012-13 to sixth in 2019-20. It said more than $400 million more would be needed in the education operating budget to restore per-student funding to what it was in 2012-13.

"Saskatchewan is in a strong financial position. Government has the money to invest in education. It is simply refusing to make students a priority," Becotte said.

When the budget was released, SSBA president Jaimie Smith-Windsor acknowledged that there was a small increase.

"However, we are concerned that this budget contributes to the erosion of the publicly funded education system in Saskatchewan," she said.

"We were expecting and hoping for a budget that meets the expectations of covering the cost of inflation and covering enrolment growth in this province."

Smith-Windsor said the budget will "present some challenges."