Released on April 11, 1997
Education Minister Pat Atkinson announced that school divisions will beinformed today of their individual provincial operating grants.
Atkinson noted this year's provincial budget contained an $8 million
increase in operating grants to school divisions with a further $5.8
million increase next year.
"The increase in operating grants allows us to further our goals of
education by targeting money to support the implementation of the
made-in-Saskatchewan Core Curriculum and resource-based learning,"
Atkinson said.
The provincial operating grants take into account the effects of
province-wide reassessment. Assessment is an important factor in
determining the level of grant to each school division. Provincial
funding is distributed to a school division based on enrolments and
local financial capacity which is measured by using the school
division's assessment.
Foundation grants are designed to equalize resources between school
divisions based on need.
The minister said that a majority of school divisions will receive an
increase in their school grants in 1997. School divisions who will be
collecting higher revenues from their local taxes because of
reassessment will see a corresponding decrease in their grant.
"The government is working to ensure these changes don't occur too
abruptly," Atkinson said. "Therefore we are capping these changes.
School divisions who are getting increased local revenue will see their
grant reduced by no more than 25 per cent in total, and this assessment
related cap will remain in place for three years. About 20 boards out
of 118 will benefit from this cap."
Atkinson also reaffirmed the government's commitment to reduce the
proportion of school taxes on the total local tax levy over time as the
fiscal situation allows.
The school operating grant program will be reviewed over the coming
year.
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For more information, contact:
Craig Dotson
Saskatchewan Education
Regina
Phone: (306) 787-7071