News Release
Steinbach, MB. March 5, 2024 – The аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û Board of Trustees has approved the 2024-25 school year budget. The new budget allocates $119.8 million to enhance student education and aims to reinstate some of the staffing and services that were reduced in previous years. With enrollment projected to increase by 5% (approx. 398 students), the budget corresponds with continued divisional growth and provides funding to address critical support needs.
аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û will receive an additional $4,026,249 in provincial funding for the 2024-25 school year, which represents an increase of 6.2% over the previous year. As with all school divisions in Manitoba, provincial funding comprises only a portion of total operating revenue. The remaining required revenue (approximately 40% of the budget) must be obtained through education taxes in the form of a division-wide Mill Rate. To ensure educational expenses are covered, the 2024 Mill Rate will increase from 11.99 to 12.74, which reflects an education tax levy increase of 6.25%. Compared to the previous year, the education tax levy on a sample house assessed at $285,000 will result in an approximate increase of $50 annually when considering the education property tax rebate.
The provincial government’s announcement to restore school boards’ authority to raise local taxes has enabled the Board to address 2024-25 budget concerns such as enrollment increases, negotiated salary adjustments, and increases in fixed costs such as utilities. Consequently, this marks the first school tax increase in the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û since 2017.
The аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û strives to provide the best education possible for all children in our care. The 2024-25 school year budget reflects a mindful approach to the impact of local taxation while balancing the educational needs of school communities.