The local school board is facing a budget shortfall of $4 million for the 2023 – 2024 school year.
The Hastings and Prince Edward School Board indicates staff members have been working on the budget.
The school board must pass a balanced budget by June 30.
A report from the board indicates the projected Grant for Student Needs funding for HPEDSB is $213,616,758, a year-over-year increase of one per cent.
An additional $3 million is expected through Priorities and Partnerships Funding for priority initiatives.
The Ministry of Education does not cover the increased inflation costs in a wide variety of budget lines, or the rising needs of students following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The board says funding challenges include $2.5 million no longer available for 27 employee positions.
Tutoring funding is no longer available.
There is a $1 million decrease in classroom support for Indigenous studies.
Inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), continues at around 4.5 per cent which impacts transportation costs, building operating costs, and the cost of supplies and services.
The board has had deficit budgets for the past two years which meant taking money from reserve funds.
