Approval of 2017-18 Budget
Steinbach, MB. March 7, 2017 – The Board of Trustees for the Hanover School Division has approved its 2017-18 Budget. Hanover School Division serves the communities of Blumenort, Bothwell, Crystal Springs, Grunthal, Kleefeld, Landmark, Mitchell, Niverville, and Steinbach.
The approved 2017-18 budget provides necessary funding to meet the needs of continued divisional growth, estimated to surpass 8,000 students for the next school year. With an anticipated enrollment increase of approximately 171 students, the budget will cover expenses required to accommodate for such growth. This includes the hiring of additional teachers and guidance counsellors.
HSD strives to provide the best education possible for all children in our care, and continues to retain one of the lowest cost per student averages in the Province. Operating expenses for 2017-18 are estimated to be $87.8 million dollars which represents a 2.55% increase in expenditures from 2016-17, while provincial funding has increased by 2.6% over the previous year.
As with all school divisions in Manitoba, provincial funding comprises only a portion of total operational revenue. The remaining required revenue (approximately 40% of the budget) needs to be obtained through education taxes, in the form of a division-wide Mill Rate. To ensure educational expenses are covered, the 2017 Mill Rate will increase from 14.94 to 15.29, which reflects an education tax levy increase of 2.41%. Approval of the Mill Rate is conditional upon the continuation of existing provincial funding for the Smaller Classes Initiative (20 K-3). Compared to the previous year, the education tax levy on a sample house assessed at $250,000 will result in an approximate increase of $40 annually.
The Board of Trustees were very mindful of the budgetary impact on local taxation, and worked diligently to find cost savings, balancing the educational needs of our students with divisional growth. HSD administration expenses continue to be among the lowest in the Province.