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“We also tried our best just to reduce some of the services rather than totally eliminate them.”

The budget also includes: eliminating supplementary sporting programs, namely canoeing, curling and swimming; reducing professional development spending; and reducing decentralized school budgets by 2.5 per cent.

The board also must absorb inflationary pressures and the change to the PST.

The board is projecting 576 new students in the fall, which Enion views as good news even though it adds pressure to division resources. The division has just over 23,000 students at present.

“It’s always good news to grow. I think we’re excited about opening new schools and our numbers increasing. But in a budget where we have a significant shortfall, it is challenging, there’s no doubt. But it’s still a very positive thing,” said Enion.

In 2017-18, Regina Public School Division will see five new schools open, including three joint-use schools and the new Ecole Connaught and Scott Collegiate. It is also relocating its adult campus.

Its funding was impacted by government budget cuts, a change to the provincial education funding formula, and changes to education property tax collection.

Come Jan. 1, education property taxes will be given directly to government and not to school divisions. Property tax money will afterward be allocated as a government grant to school divisions.

The change to the provincial funding model meant a $5.7-million reduction from the actual 2016-17 funding level, said chief financial officer Deb Burnett.