Trustees have given their blessing to the St Clair Catholic District School Board’s budget for the coming year.
Officials say the $141-million fiscal blueprint underscores the board’s commitment to providing high-quality programs and essential supports for all students, and that the increase of nearly 11-million dollars over the 2023-24 year is due to provincially negotiated settlements with various employee groups.
The Board’s priorities moving forward include:
- Mental Health Support: Enhancing mental health services will be based on the mental health and addictions strategy, informed by School Climate Survey results and guidance from School Mental Health Ontario.
- Student Engagement: The Equity Action Plan, Indigenous Education Action Plan, and Special Education Plan will drive student engagement. Additionally, support for multi-lingual learners will be provided.
- Curriculum Enhancements: Implementation of revised curriculum, including “Reading Success for All,” and introduction of new resources in the “Growing in Faith – Growing in Christ” program.
- Literacy and Numeracy: Strengthening literacy and numeracy support for Grades 7 to 12 remains a top priority.
- Student Success: The board will continue assisting every student toward graduation and engaging secondary students in experiential learning and pathways planning.
- Technology Access: Every student and classroom educator will benefit from access to board-owned devices and robust broadband connections.
Officials say the budget estimates for 2024-2025 align with all Ministry of Education accountability and reporting requirements, and will now be submitted to the province for final review.