HSD board approves budget for 2025-26

By Cal Braid
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

At a May 27 budget meeting, the Board of Trustees of the Horizon School Division approved the operating budget for the 2025-2026 school year. The budget included revenues of over $55.2 million, 90 per cent of which are sourced from Alberta Education through the Province.

 Funding from Alberta Education increased 1.66 per cent, and next year’s enrolment is projected to be stable with a forecasted increase of 17 full-time equivalent students. HSD said staff allocations are comparable with 2024-2025.

 A deficit of $845,398 was approved. In a press release, Board Chair Marie Logan said, “A significant contributor to the deficit is the increased costs associated with support staff. Enhancements to the support staff collective agreement are far greater than the funding increases provided by the provincial government.”

 For 2025-2026 the biggest expense by far is instruction; for Grades 1 to 12 throughout the Division, the board approved a teaching budget just a shade under $39.4 million.

Operations and maintenance were the second largest expense at more than $8.1 million.

 Previous Times reporting found that in 2025, the Province will requisition the Town of Taber almost $3.7 million for the school tax rate – a 14.5 per cent increase. The remaining $51.5 million in education funding comes from provincial general revenues.

 HSD said that going forward, it hopes funding will be sufficient to maintain programs and staff at current levels.

 Dr. Wilco Tymensen, Sup’t of HSD, told the Times that the Division ratified a Memorandum of Agreement with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local 3203. The Union represents Horizon support staff working within the schools and communities located within the M.D. of Taber, including the division office and the maintenance department.

 Teachers are part of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, however the CUPE local 3203 represents the other active job roles at HSD: all non-teacher school based staff; all maintenance staff, except for management; and a few Division support staff who spend the majority of their time at schools.

 “The new collective agreement contains significant cost enhancements that outpace government funding, primarily in the form of wage increases,” Tymensen said. “The board is committed to maintaining quality programming and providing equitable wages and working conditions, especially given the significant inflationary pressures over the past few years.”

 Tymensen said that the agreement with local 3203’s terms contributed to the projected deficit but shouldn’t affect human resources or high-quality education.

 “Given this commitment, the board is using reserve funds to minimize disruptions and reductions to staffing and maintain student programming to the best of our ability,” he said.

 On behalf of the trustees, Logan said, “The board prioritizes providing the teachers required to minimize class sizes and multi-grading while still providing supports to students. Significant funds are allocated to enhancing teachers’ skills through professional development, supporting English Second Language (ESL) students, providing mental health supports to students, and staff, and exploring career-based opportunities for students.”