Rainbow District School Board approved a budget of $215.5 million for the 2021-2022 school year at its regular meeting on June 29, 2021.
"The budget maintains programs and services adjusted to include the terms and conditions of collective agreements, inflationary pressures, and the impact of declining enrolment," said Board Chair Doreen Dewar.
The Board is projecting enrolment of 13,120 students this fall. To balance the budget, the Board is forecasting a withdrawal of $1.6 million from reserves, partly due to a reduction in the declining enrolment stabilization grant.
Grants for Student Needs (GSNs), which is the base funding provided by the Ministry of Education, have been adjusted to reflect supports for COVID-19, technology, mental health and online learning. Some program funding has been transferred to the GSNs, such as allocations for established Specialist High Skills Majors.
The Province is also providing targeted funding for specific initiatives. This includes the ongoing mathematics strategy, an expansion of Specialist High Skills Major programs, and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program. Additional funding is being provided for COVID-19 supports including staffing, school operations, transportation, special education, mental health, student re-engagement and reading assessments.
In 2021-2022, Rainbow District School Board will receive $14.5 million in school renewal and school condition improvement funding. This represents a reduction of $2 million.
A total of 75 per cent of the budget, or $161.7 million, has been allocated to salaries and benefits. Eight per cent of the budget, or $17.3 million, will go towards supplies and services, which includes the operation and maintenance of facilities, school budgets and computers in schools.
Rainbow District School Board operates 31 elementary school buildings and 9 secondary school buildings in Sudbury, Espanola, and Manitoulin Island.
The Board also offers other programs - Child and Adolescent Mental Health Program, Cecil Facer School, N'Swakamok Native Friendship Centre, Children's Treatment Centre, O'Connor Park, Applied Behaviour Analysis program, Restart, Simulated Healthy Independent Living Opportunities (SHILO) program, Attendance Centre, Mishko-Ode-Wendam, Northern Support Initiative, Frank Flowers School and Barrydowne College operating at Cambrian College.
