Rocky View Schools (RVS) has received its funding profiles from the province for the 2024/25 school year and they were showcased at the latest trustee meeting. According to RVS, they are happy with some of the details but still see a gap when it comes to funding and it will create some challenges.

Funding profiles forecast the financial support school divisions will receive for the upcoming school year, utilizing enrollment projections that were submitted by each division to Alberta Education in early January.

Overall, student funding will be increased by 2.7 per cent for the next school year but does not include funding for capital maintenance and renewal projects. RVS school division is projecting an increase of 2.6 per cent in student enrollment next school year.

"The Board believes every student needs to be fully funded every year. The Weighted Moving Average (WMA) funding model used by Alberta Education to determine the level of base instructional funding a school division receives continues to disadvantage growing divisions like RVS," stated RVS.

Despite receiving supplemental enrollment growth grants, RVS found itself allocating more funds to instruction than it received in the grants. Historically, money designated for system administration in RVS had to be reallocated to address the deficit in the instruction budget.

While supplemental enrollment grant funding assists, it does not fully bridge the gap caused by the WMA. Projected at $1.6 million for 2024/25, the supplemental enrollment grant would need to reach $3.7 million for RVS to nullify the impact of the WMA.

According to RVS, the Board will have challenging decisions to make even with this additional funding with the growing complexities in RVS classrooms, enrolment growth and inflating costs.

Also, at the latest RVS meeting, an update was provided on an initiative called Balancing Airdrie student spaces.

According to statistics provided by RVS, 37 per cent agree or strongly agree with converting C.W. Perry School to a high school. 67 per cent agree or strongly agree with grade eight students staying in middle school for grade nine and 63 per cent agree or strongly agree with re-organizing grade structure for all schools. 

The trustees will make a final decision on April 25 for implementation, hopefully with some of the changes to be implemented starting in the fall of 2025.

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