Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board Trustees, sitting as the Budget Committee, approved an operating budget for the next school year. The budget is compliant with all Ministry of Education requirements.
“The Board’s strategic plan establishes long-term priorities for students, staff and the communities we serve. The budget brought forward by administration is centered on those priorities and our commitment to strengthening strong learning foundations for students.” says Angela Lloyd, Budget Committee. “With this budget our focus will remain, as always, to support the success and wellness of our students.”
The budget was developed based on the priorities set out within the Board’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan – Inspiring Excellence in Learning, Success in Life and Community.
“Our strategic plan identifies key priorities for our schools and school board, and guides our planning and decision-making, including how we allocate our budget,” says Lloyd. “We will continue to do everything we can to ensure that the dollars we have are directed to where they are needed most – our classrooms.”
As part of the budget process, Trustees approved administration’s proposed budget for the next school year of $552,302,825 and Capital Budget in the amount of $ 60,766,353.
“Throughout all our budget considerations, we balance support for services and programs that we believe are crucial for student success with our obligations to always be responsible and prudent financial managers,” says Lloyd.
Enrolment Challenges and Cost Pressures for 2026/2027
In presenting the budget, administration reviewed enrolment expectations for the 2026-2027 school year, along with Ministry funding allocations, with the Board’s Budget Committee.
Student enrolment directly impacts revenue. Projections for the 2026-2027 school year indicate modest decreases across both the elementary and secondary panels.
Board revenues are determined provincially based on elementary and secondary student enrolment. Total board enrolment for 2026-2027 is expected to be 34,908 students. This projection includes a year over year projected decrease of 303 elementary students, and a decrease of 174 secondary students.
Administration noted that declining enrolment, and ongoing cost pressures in Transportation, Special Education, and WSIB/staff replacement costs were key factors in the budget’s development.
“Our focus continues to be on identifying efficiencies and reducing costs across operational budget lines as we developed this budget for consideration by the Board,” says Rita Russo, Chief Executive Officer.
Budget information is available at: www.kprschools.ca
