School division sees benefit with cost saving measures

A partial hiring freeze in the Seine River School Division is resulting in quite a cost savings. 

Board chair Wendy Bloomfield says that for the past few months, they have been filling temporary vacancies with current staff rather than hiring new staff. 

“This is being done very carefully,” she adds. “Where there’s nothing that can be worked out within a school, we have posted positions. But to date, this has generated about around a half a million dollars in cost saving measures.” 

Bloomfield says they have also taken other steps to save money, and that has resulted in a million dollars in cost savings. 

However, the division is still predicting a deficit of nearly $5 million by the end of the current school year. 

Bloomfield says they are hoping for some positive news from the government with the annual funding announcement. 

“We really are not getting any indication at this point in terms of a percentage increase or how they might apply categorical grants or anything like that. So, we're in a bit of a holding pattern right now in terms of next budget year and what it could look like.” 

The annual provincial funding announcement usually happens in January. 

School divisions in Manitoba must have their budgets ready by the end of March.