SANDRA M STANWAY
Brooks Bulletin
Grasslands School division ended the 2023/2024 year with an operating surplus of $51,431.
“Last year we actually ran a deficit of $1.4 million. We had budgeted to be in a deficit position of approximately $600,000,” said Rhian Schroeder, associate superintendent at Grasslands Public Schools.
She said ending with a surplus on a $50 million budget is about as close to breaking even as one can get.
She said while the deficit was budgeted for 2023-24 there were some teaching positions that were not filled including the occupational therapist and CTS teacher all year and other positions that were only filled for part of the year.
She said there were some positions that were not filled last year but the increase in supplies and other areas allowed for some extra money in accumulated operating surplus that had not been budgeted.
“At the end of 2023-24 we’re going to be sitting with $2.77 million which is quite a bit lower than what we held in the past,” she said.
School boards have to spend their reserves and remain in a specific percentage of revenue in their accumulated operating surplus.
For Grasslands that percentage is 4.3.
“We’re at 3.9 per cent accumulated operating surplus,” she said.
Looking ahead to next semester, Schroeder said there are about five staff members who will be on maternity leave so the district will seek retired teachers to fill in temporarily.
“We are going to be looking for teachers. We’re hopeful that we’re going to fill those positions.”
The big item next year will be the construction of the new junior high school.
Both the school and the new track to be built at Eastbrook School will be funded by the province.
Fundraising will start in 2025 for additional items.
