A school board official says he’s pleased with the budget that will be presented to trustees later this month, saying the board was able to find savings that have minimal impact on student learning.
Hastings & Prince Edward District School Board Superintendent Nick Pfeiffer says many staffing changes are being made and seven workers across the board are losing jobs. This after the board announced it would have to find about $4 million in savings this spring, as it was facing a budget shortfall.
But Pfeiffer says the board now has a draft budget that’s balanced. He says there’s little change in staffing in North Hastings, where increasing student enrollment is leading to more positions.
“The good news is that our board, across the board, including in the North (is seeing) enrollment increases,” he says. “We’ve become an area where people are moving into and we’re seeing increasing enrollment. That’s a good problem to have. That means we get additional funding (from the province) with additional students and additional services we can provide, with additional teachers needed.”
The budget will be presented to the board of trustees on June 19.