Rainbow District school board approves $185M budget, but 10 full-time positions to be cut

Declining student enrolment means it's getting tougher for the Rainbow District School Board to balance its budget.

The board just approved its $185.5 million budget for the coming school year but had to dip into its reserves to do so.

And 10 full-time equivalent teaching and non-teaching positions have been cut.

Norm Blaseg, Director of Education with the Rainbow School board, said the continuing decline in enrolment means the board will have more belt-tightening to do in the future.

"The trend in Sudbury is that enrolment for the last 10 years has gone down each year," Blaseg said, "and it looks like, going into the future, it will continue, but not as dramatically."

The funding a school board receives from the Ministry of Education is tied to the number of students enrolled.

Fewer students means fewer dollars from Queen's Park, and likely means consolidating schools to reduce costs.

"The challenge with this particular budget...and for the next few years," Blaseg said "is the operating dollars the government have reduced, and that was introduced as of last year. And all boards are facing this."

Board will make final decisions in August

In 2015, the board faced a $1.66 million deficit. At the time, Norm Blaseg said teacher cuts were not being considered, as the board was trying to find savings outside the classroom.

In August, board staff will recommend a number of scenarios for consideration.

Rainbow District School Board operates 35 elementary school buildings and 9 secondary school buildings in Sudbury, Espanola, Manitoulin and Shining Tree.

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