The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created a bit of a shortfall at Kenora Catholic this year.
During their monthly board meeting last week, trustees with the Kenora Catholic District School Board took a look at their updated 2021-2022 financial statements, as well as received an update on enrollment and new COVID-19 safety measures.
Superintendent of Business Services, Alison Smith, presented the board’s 2021-2022 Revised Financial Estimates at the meeting. Total revenues for Kenora Catholic are listed at $32,804,158, while expenses are listed at $33,261,900 – creating an annual deficit of $457,742.
Smith notes that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry is allowing school boards to be operating within a 2 per cent deficit, which the board is adhering to.
Much of that deficit is due to new COVID-19 protocols, which include additional hours for custodial staff, mental health supports, additional teachers, remote learning equipment and technology, transportation and special education requirements.
Overall, Smith says the additional COVID-19 measures are costing about $1.6 million, but the majority of the funding will be paid for by the Ministry of Education. Kenora Catholic is only on the hook for about $248,000 of those expenses.
The new COVID-19 measures were implemented when in-person learning returned on January 15, after Ontario promised school boards N95 masks for staff, three-ply cloth masks for students, Rapid Antigen test kits and HEPA filters.
Smith says most of the new supplies were delivered last week, but the board is still awaiting their new HEPA air filtration units. Although, Smith says the board already has sufficient air ventilation in place throughout all of their schools.
“Once our other HEPA filters do arrive, we’ll work with our schools and ensure that all of the spaces will have adequate portable HEPA filters,” says Smith.
She also noted that Kindergarten students are also now required to wear masks – a new requirement being put into place by Kenora Catholic trustees and leadership.
“This is just to help give extra protection for those students and staff within those areas,” adds Smith.
Overall, the board’s enrollment is down slightly compared to projections, with a difference of 18 students between their six schools.