Trustees with the St Clair Catholic District School Board have given their stamp of approval to the board’s 2020-21 budget.
The fiscal blueprint totals $120,204,375 for what officials call a school year like no other.
Trustees also discussed priority spending for COVID-19 to be included in revised estimates later in the year.
So far, $3.6-million has been identified using board contingency funds, reserves, and ministry of education COVID funding.
Officials say the additional spending will cover things like masks and other PPE, enhanced cleaning, mental health supports, and staff to support learning at home, among other things.
“Our planning and the additional health and safety measures we have in place have been informed by guidance from the Ministry of Education, Public Health Ontario and the Chatham-Kent and Lambton Medical Officers of Health,” says Deb Crawford, Director of Education. “This budget demonstrates that we are committed to using our taxpayer dollars and our Board reserves to fund costs and strategies which address health and safety in our schools and offices to the greatest extent possible.”
The budget has now been forwarded on to the Ministry of Education.
