The Avon Maitland District School Board Has Approved a Revised Budget for 2023/2024

by Bob Montgomery

Trustees with the Avon Maitland District School Board have approved a revised budget for the 2023/2024 school year.

Avon Maitland Superintendent of Corporate Services Cheri Carter explains they are allowed to run a deficit as long as it doesn't exceed 1% of their operating costs, and they are required to file a recovery plan with the ministry, but they are compliant. They did use some reserves for their transportation funding gap, among other things, and the operating deficit was just over 1.9 million dollars.

“We have filed an operating deficit for the last couple of years. Some of it's planned use of reserves, we have those reserves sitting there so we want to be able to use them, but some of it is funding shortfall. Our Special Education funding is not enough to cover our expenses, our transportation funding, that's a new item this year. Funding reform cut that by a few hundred thousand dollars,” said Carter. She also noted that they have some other cost pressures, like the increase in Canada Pension Plan, without any off-setting funding, and that hit them and all school boards this year.

Carter says they will be looking for areas where they can cut some costs to bring things back into balance next year. She also points out many school boards throughout the province are facing the same challenges that the Avon Maitland Board is facing.

The budget package is available on the Avon Maitland Board website.