Trustees for the Border Land School Division (BLSD) have approved a $2.2 million increase in spending for 2025/26. In total, the Board has approved a $43.1 million budget for the coming year.
Splitting half of the added spending 50/50 is operating expenditures which increased 3.63% over 24/25, predominantly due to salaries, and capital expenses that more than doubled. That, according to Board Chair Steven Wiebe, is mainly because the Division is setting aside $450,000 into a bus reserve account that was depleted down to zero last year.
"Probably, the public would be interested to know that bus prices have skyrocketed," he said, adding when he first started as trustee in 2013, a bus cost around $85,000. Today, Wiebe says the price of one bus runs at an 'unbelievable' $225,000.
"It's a tough one to swallow but, again, it's a necessary expenditure," added Wiebe. "We put on over a million kilometres every year and a lot of that is on gravel roads. You'd think a bus that costs $225,000 could last forever but they simple don't."
With Canada's current trade war with the U.S., Wiebe doesn't expect things will improve any time soon, noting the buses typically come from the United States.
Additionally, $165,000 has been set aside to rebuild the exterior wheelchair ramp at W.C. Miller Collegiate.
"It just barely meeting code but we're finding that it's just not working for some of the larger, wider wheelchairs that are coming into the building. It's just deteriorating, and it's become obvious that we have to put divisional capital money towards that," said Wiebe.
$150,000 is also being earmarked for an office renovation at Ecole Elmwood School.
"Right now, there's not a clear line of sight from the front door to the office which is a real security issue and has been a long-running concern in that school," explained Wiebe. "(This) will give a little more visibility for office staff and to the entrance."
The remainder of the $1.1 million capital spending budget will be used for general maintenance and improvements throughout the various other BLSD facilities. the Board will be pulling $46,931 out of its capital reserve account to help cover the bills.
Despite the $2.2 million in added spending for next year, BLSD will be lowering its portion of the property tax. However, with it being a reassessment year, some property owners could still see an increase on their bills.
Wiebe admits, it continues to be a balancing act of maintaining the services the Division provides while doing what it can to keep on top of its facilities.
"Over the last number of years, and there was a time where we weren't allowed to touch local taxation whatsoever and we were at the mercy of whatever small grant the provincial government would give us, we felt we wanted to be very careful with our expenditures, and we still are being careful. But we're making it a priority to stick to our current staffing levels and our staffing formulas. When you do that, with salary increases and operating increases every year, it doesn't leave you a lot of capital money to dream about anything new."
See below for 2025/26 education property tax information in BLSD.