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Rising enrolment fuels $8M Central Okanagan school budget hike

Larger than expected revenue also derived from international student program
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The 2021-22 operating budget for Central Okanagan Public Schools has increased by $8,708,000 from what was originally adopted last spring.

The Central Okanagan Board of Education approved the finalized budget covering the current fiscal year at $302,076,449.

School budgets for the following year have to be submitted to the Ministry of Education by the end of May each year, and adjustments are made the following February when school enrolment and other financial issues are factored in.

The deadline for submitting the updated budget to the ministry is Feb. 28.

The reasons cited in the staff report for the budget increase in are:

• A student enrolment increase from what was originally budgeted for 2021-22, increasing the school district’s per pupil operating budge funding from the province by $3,289,000.

• Confirmation of 400 International Education students for the 2021-22 school year, a full-time equivalent enrolment increase of 40 and resulting increase of $580,000 in tuition revenue.

• The school district requested and received an additional $3,825,000 in classroom enhancement funding over what was originally allocated in the budget.

• The school district received $557,683 in funding as part of the province’s Safe Return to School grant, utilized to cover some additional custodial wage costs, increased teacher illness costs, purchase custodial supplies, personal protective equipment (masks, gloves, etc.) and hand sanitizer.

The school district is about to start the public input stage of developing an operating budget for the 2022-23 school year.

READ MORE: Mixed response to provincial school budget funding for 2021-22 year