Calgary Catholic School District passes budget, says provincial funding falls short
![Calgary, principal, CCSD. Catholic, School, Distri Calgary Catholic School Centre (File photo)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2018/12/13/calgary--principal--ccsd--catholic--school--distri-1-4217154-1716493088000.jpg)
The Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) has passed its budget for the upcoming school year and said it's operating with a deficit of $21.5 million.
The CCSD board of trustees approved the plan on Wednesday, saying it was built on an understanding that the "level of funding provided by the province falls substantially short of meeting the needs" of its students.
- Sign up for breaking news alerts from CTV News, right at your fingertips
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
"The CCSD has seen significant enrolment growth year-over-year without appropriate funding to address the growth," said board chair Shannon Cook in a news release.
"In preparing this budget, the CCSD balanced rising costs, inflationary pressures and insufficient funding. Very difficult decisions were made regarding the allocation of limited resources to support our students' needs, while still ensuring they receive high-quality learning opportunities."
In 2024-25, the CCSD budgets revenues of $688.5 million and expenditures of $710 million, which means the deficit of $21.5 million will need to be covered by savings.
With the district expecting more than 2,000 new students by the end of September, in addition to the 2,730 students added last year, the CCSD says it continues to face rising costs and reduced spending power due to inflation.
CCSD says if the trend continues "the district will be unable to sustain current spending levels by drawing upon savings in the future."
"The use of district savings to balance this budget allows the CCSD to continue to provide high-quality Catholic education to our students," said acting chief superintendent John McDonald.
"While the district has been able to balance its budget for many years using savings, our reserves will be significantly depleted in this budget."
The CCSD says over the past five years, costs, including staffing, utilities and insurance have continued to rise while provincial grant rates have remained the same.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6939937.1719322184!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
One of Canada's most popular vehicles recalled over transmission issue; 95,000 impacted
One of the country's most popular vehicles is being recalled in Canada due to a transmission issue that may impact tens of thousands of drivers.
'We need to regroup,' says Liberal minister and Ontario campaign co-chair in light of byelection loss
A member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet and the party's Ontario co-chair for the next campaign says the Liberals 'need to regroup' after a shocking overnight byelection loss to Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives.
'Truly a great British Columbian': Former B.C. premier John Horgan has cancer again
Former B.C. premier and current Canadian ambassador to Germany John Horgan has been diagnosed with cancer for a third time.
RCMP, Manitoba Crown to update Carberry bus crash investigation Wednesday
Manitoba RCMP and the province’s Crown prosecution service will provide an update on the investigation into a deadly bus crash near Carberry, Man. one year ago.
Pre-med students can't take MCAT in Quebec because of Bill 96
Areeba Ahmed says she's always dreamed of becoming a surgeon but her road to the operating room has become a complicated one ever since Quebec's French language law came into effect.
Cup Noodles serves up notoriously poisonous pufferfish
Pufferfish is regarded as a luxury in Japan and a meal featuring the potentially poisonous delicacy can easily cost up to 20,000 yen (US$125) at high-end restaurants.
Workers rescued after swing stage ropes break outside 56th floor of downtown Toronto hotel
Two workers have been rescued after some of the ropes holding up a swing stage atop a soaring downtown Toronto hotel broke.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
Former Ottawa deputy police chief charged with sexual assault
Former Ottawa police deputy chief Uday Jaswal has been charged with sexual assault in connection with an incident involving a female police officer under his supervision at the time. The assault allegedly took place in the workplace.