The Wild Rose School Division (WRSD) has released its 2025-26 budget, which predicts a $645,475 deficit.
The deficit will be covered by operating reserves, which will bring the reserve balance to its minimum required balance of one per cent of the operating budget. For 2025-26, that budget is about $68 million.
Meantime, the division, which gets 95 per cent of its funding from the provincial government, expects to see funding from Alberta Education increase by 2.7 per cent from the previous year:
- Base Instruction grant increased by approximately $167,000
- Services and Supports grant increased by approximately $267,000
- Community grant (school nutrition, socio-economic status) increased by approximately $11,000
- Operations and Maintenance grant increased by approximately $257,000
- School and Technology Grant (new) increased by approximately $124,000
- System Administration grant increased by approximately $175,000
Enrolment for the 2025-26 school year is predicted to be a little over 4,300 students, compared to 4,450 at Sept. 29, 2024. Actual enrolment numbers for the school year will be submitted to Alberta Education on Sept. 29, 2025. The division notes, enrolment fluctuations have a significant impact on future grant revenues.
When it comes to staffing, which makes up about 65 per cent of the budget, the division projects 244.33 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers (excluding 2.5 held in contingency) and 90 educational assistants (excluding five held in contingency). Teaching staff will decrease by approximately six FTE positions while total educational assistants will remain at the 2024-25 status quo.
WRSD serves students across 17 schools and one institutional program, including five schools in Drayton Valley: Aurora Elementary School, Drayton Christian School, Drayton Valley Community Outreach School, Evergreen Elementary School and the Frank Maddock High School.
The budget was shared in the WRSD board’s May 20 meeting.
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