The local public school board has passed a budget for 2021-22 worth about $97-million.

Foothills School Division Assistant Superintendent Drew Chipman says they're looking at big increases in insurance premiums and about an eight per cent increase in employee benefit premiums.

"The benefit plan, the Alberta school employee benefit plan, they've been using their reserve dollars to subsidize benefit premiums for about three years and we're at the point where they don't have additional dollars to do that so they anticipate that the increases will happen happen around that amount for each of the next two or three years so we're anticipating additional costs moving forward in those benefit costs," Chipman says.

He says enrolment was down but the Province is allowing them to keep their funding for next year which he says is a big help.

Teaching and support staff levels will be maintained at the level they were at before the 2020-21 school year.

Maintenance of enhanced cleaning for the first half of the school year:

The Division has committed to supporting day time custodians to continue with enhanced cleaning protocols for the first 4 months of the school year to support a safe school renewal and recovery.

They've also committed to continuing some additional cleaning of high touch surfaces during after school hours for 2021-2022 school year to support a safe school renewal and recovery.

On a statement on the Foothills School Division's website Board Chair Larry Albrecht says:

“This is once again a unique budget year requiring a commitment to maintaining student classroom and school support despite increased costs across the Division. Though the Provincial Government maintained funding this year compared to last, we have lost $2.8 million dollars in federal/provincial COVID support as well as an increase in costs that have not been funded. We are confident this budget and the Three-Year Education Plan provide Foothills School Division students and staff the resources and flexibility to continue to experience quality learning in our safe and caring learning environment.”

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