The number crunching is over and trustees with the Turtle Mountain School Division are introducing a budget that includes a hike in the special levy. 

The 2024-25 budget has expenditures of $16.05 million up about $1 million from last year's expenditure that totaled $14.95 million. 

 

“This one of the toughest budgets the trustees have had to work on,” said Superintendent/CEO Grant Wiesner. 

Wiesner said increased expenditures are due to higher salaries but also increases in fuel prices and hydro. 

“One of the tough decisions had to do with staffing and trustees plan to reduce funding for professional development next year by $100,000. There isn’t money in the budget for school buses purchases for next year and they’re looking to increase the special levy which the division hasn’t been able to do for the past three years.” 

“We’ll be losing a small number of staff and the proposed budget calls for a staff reduction of .4%.  The goal at the end of the day is to have support for students in the classrooms and so this budget still has teachers in front of students,” said Wiesner. 

 

Over the past three years the province had a freeze on a division’s ability to increase the special levy and that was lifted for the 2024-25 budget. “This year we’re looking at a special levy increase of 5.59 %.” 

“There will be an increase in taxes for example for somebody in Ward 1 Killarney-Turtle Mountain with a typical home worth $300,000 their assessment would increase by $82 for the year. But then the province gives half of that back to taxpayers.” 

 

Trustees plan to introduce the budget to serve notice of motion on February 28th. The budget is expected to be approved at the March 13th meeting.