Near the beginning of April, the Manitoba government reversed a portion of a nearly $9 million reduction in education funding after feedback from school divisions across the province.
Garden Valley School Division Superintendent Dan Ward shared that the cutback had sparked some concern, especially in rural areas facing growing transportation costs and longstanding socioeconomic challenges.
For GVSD, the rollback came as a surprise—but a welcome one.
“It was definitely a net gain, because we didn’t actually experience a reduction based on the adjustment... We did last year, but this year we were actually, I believe, $14,000 up in terms of an adjustment.”
After the adjustment was made, Ward said that GVSD received an additional $213,000.
Adding wiggle room to the budget
Ward said that the additional funds coming their way may not be comparatively impressive to the amount of money the division spends as a whole, but it is still good news.
“That’s not insignificant for an organization of our size. Percentage-wise, it’s small because we have an annual budget of $60 million,” he said, “but not insignificant.”
He said that with the division on a break-even budget, extra funds like this help absorb unexpected costs like a failed boiler or a school bus repair, while also giving administrators a bit more flexibility to tackle maintenance issues that tend to be deferred during tighter years.
Related stories:
Targeted support for 12th-grade math
Alongside the general funding adjustment, the province also set aside more than $600,000 to support students in Grade 12 pre-calculus mathematics. Ward said that while COVID-19 may seem like a thing of the past, its effects on student learning are still becoming evident as time progresses.
“We know all of our students were impacted by interrupted learning as well as all the other measures that we needed to put in place... The rich experiences that students typically get in school that was curtailed.”
Ward said that they have been closely looking at success rates in standard exams for English and Mathematics.
“Perhaps it should come as no surprise that a number of students are struggling in mathematics, in particular pre-Cal mathematics... a lot of kids take pre-Cal because they have plans for post-secondary.”
In response, GVSD directed $10,000 toward helping students prepare for the provincial standards exam in pre-calculus. The money was used to hire an additional instructor, giving students extra support in the final weeks of the school year. Ward said the division is keen to see whether the effort pays off and plans to report back to the board with results.
The maintenance backlog
Board Chair Leah Klassen said the division's projected operating surplus this year is about $15,000—essentially a break-even position. Like many school divisions and municipalities, GVSD is grappling with a growing maintenance backlog after years of stagnant funding.
She said the board discussed where to direct any unspent funds and agreed that addressing overdue maintenance made the most sense. While it’s not the kind of work that gets headlines, Klassen said it’s essential for keeping schools safe, comfortable, and functional for both staff and students.
To stay up to date with what GVSD is doing, visit their website by clicking here.