The Bruce Grey Catholic School Board is crunching the numbers – and the board is facing a deficit.
Offering unfunded full day kindergarten programs in the Bruce Grey Catholic School Board is coming at a cost.
The Board is projecting a 592 thousand dollar shortfall to run the programs in Mildmay, Teeswater and St. Basil’s in the Fall.
Superintendent of Business Cathy Colton says they plan to use reserve funds to cover off the deficit — — but they need the province’s blessing first.
That is because the 592 thousand exceeds one per cent of the board’s operating budget.
Colton says they are looking at the deficit as an investment in the community rather than a loss.
She says it was not an easy decision, but after consultation with community stakeholders — it was deemed the right decision.
Currently Holy Family School in Hanover is the only funded full day kindergarten program in the Catholic Board — even though it is being offered at Mildmay Sacred Heart as well.
The Bruce Grey Catholic Board will continue to fund the program at schools in Mildmay and Teeswater as well as five of the six full day programs that will begin at St. Basil’s in Owen Sound.
The St. Basil’s program alone will cost the Board 443 thousand dollars.
Colton notes St. Basil’s has six kindergarten classrooms and schools are not allowed to offer full day learning to some and not others.
This means out of the eight full day learning programs that will be offered in the Catholic Board this Fall — only two will be funded by the province.
