​Lambton Kent District School Board (LKDSB) Trustees approved a balanced budget totaling $291.11 million for the 2017/2018 school year during the June 13 Board Meeting. The revenue forecast is based on the Grants for Student Needs (GSN) education funding model, which determines the LKDSB's operating and school renewal grants provided by the Ministry of Education.

The 2017/18 budget was developed based on a projected enrolment of 21,482 students, which includes 14,396 elementary and 7,086 secondary students.  The LKDSB has 1,354 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) teachers, along with 266 teacher assistants and 95 early childhood educators.

The total staff complement for the 2017/18 school year will be about 2,320 FTE employees.

Modest wage increases and support for staff professional development; class size investments for full-day kindergarten and Grades 4-8; and support for special education students have resulted in overall budget increases. The LKDSB has also received increased funding to support student transportation and community use of schools.

The LKDSB capital budget for school condition improvement, school facilities renewal, capital priorities and child care is $31.77 million, which includes ministry investments for capital renewal at the Great Lakes Secondary School and Plympton-Wyoming Public School permanent sites.

While the overall provincial funding per pupil remains stable, the LKDSB's funding continues to be negatively impacted by declining enrolment. Through the School Board Efficiencies and Modernization (SBEM) Initiative, the Ministry of Education continues to encourage school boards to address underutilized school space. Additionally, changes to the Ministry Top-up Funding under the School Facility Operations and Renewal Grant will result in a lower number of LKDSB schools that will be eligible for funding in future years. This also marks the final year for the Geographic Circumstances Grant, which provides additional funding for rural and small communities.

"We are pleased to approve a balanced budget for the 2017/2018 school year, as we continue to prioritize investments that support student success, while maintaining fiscal responsibility," said LKDSB Chair Jane Bryce.

The budget year is from September 1, 2017 to August 31, 2018.

-30-

For additional information please contact:
Jane Bryce, Chair of the Lambton Kent District School Board, 519-899-2619
Jim Costello, Director of Education, Lambton Kent District School Board, 519-336-1500, Ext 31297

For reference information contact:
Heather Hughes, Public Relations Officer, 519-336-1500, Ext. 31262
June 13, 2017
2016/2017:31