Winnipeg School Division

The Winnipeg School Division is proposing a 2.9 per cent increase on property taxes in its 2019-2020 budget to make up for decreased provincial funding.

The school division says the increase will mean an additional $41 per year in taxes for the average home valued at $214,200 within the division.

It says its costs increase every year because of inflation on expenses such as Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance Premiums, and Payroll Taxes.

With the increase in education property tax revenue, WSD Board of Trustees would have a budget of $416,790,588 to allocate.

It hopes to use the money to implement accessibility measures, including supports for students on the autism spectrum and sound field systems to help students with low to moderate difficulty hearing to amplify their teacher’s voice, and expand kindergarten sites.

The school division also plans to do long-term infrastructure and renewal planning.

Public consultations on the division’s draft budget are taking place at the following locations:

• Inner City District Advisory Meeting – Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019 at 6:30 p.m., at R.B. Russell Vocational High School, 364 Dufferin Avenue

• North District Advisory Meeting - Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019 at 7:00 p.m., at Meadows West School, 150 Inkster Garden Drive

• Central District Advisory Meeting – Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019 at 7:00 p.m., at Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute, 720 Alverstone Street

Louis Riel School Division

The Louis Riel School Division is proposing a 3.47% increase on property taxes in its latest budget to support a growing and diverse student population while trimming operating expenses.

The LRSD says the increase will cost the average household an extra $68.18 per year. With the increase, the school division would have a total operating budget of $194,359,229 for 2019.

It says this proposed budget is about ensuring optimal learning environments for its students. The budget would fund 11 new full-time equivalent teachers and 20 new full-time equivalent educational assistants. The LRSD says it also plans to add three full-time equivalent student services teachers.

The LRSD also plans to maintain its divisional investments in Indigenous education, a full-day Kindergarten pilot project, and poverty mitigation efforts among other programs.

The draft budget is expected to be adopted on March 12, 2019 at a special board meeting of the school board.

Pembina Trails School Division

The Pembina Trails School Division is proposing a 0.4 per cent school tax hike in its 2019/20 draft budget to help support a growing number of students.

This increase would add up to an extra $9 a year for the average homeowner.

According to the draft budget, the division’s combined operating and capital budget for the next school year sits at $179 million.

The school division says it plans to hire 30 teachers, and place 10 resource educators inside classrooms, as they expect 400 more students in the coming school year.

The budget will also support maintaining and improving the school buildings, as well as the replacement of computer equipment.