The Board of Trustees of the Portage la Prairie School Division (PLPSD) is inviting members of the public, PLPSD Parent Advisory Councils, and other interested individuals to attend a meeting Thursday evening regarding the 2024/2025 budget.

The meeting will occur at 7:00 p.m. at the Portage Collegiate Institute (West Gymnasium), 65 3rd Street SW. 

A brief presentation of the draft budget and a PowerPoint presentation highlighting recent divisional investments made to programming, equipment and facilities will be presented during the event.

Superintendent, Todd Cuddington, says this is always an essential time of the year for the division trying to make the budget as inclusive as possible by consulting parents, staff and IT specialists to develop a wish list for the funding. However, none of that matters until the province sends out its funding letter, which Cuddington explains was received on time this year, giving the division more time to prepare.

"We received the funding letter that indicated that the Portage la Prairie School Division would be receiving slightly higher funding than we've received in the past few years, which had been capped at around the rate of inflation. This year, we're slightly above that, which is, great news."

file photo

Cuddington explains that trustees have also learned that the province is allowing divisions to use their taxation authority.

"It has always been historically the right and privilege of trustees across Manitoba to go to the ratepayer and to collect a special levy which will support a number of different things that are so important. " 

file photoTodd Cuddington, superintendent of the PLPSD.

He adds that it is really important for the public to understand that over the last number of years, the school division has had to draw down a lot of the reserve funds.

"Portage has been a historically fiscally responsible board and has always been very aware of the ratepayer and we have tried to deliver budgets that give the schools the things that they need while at the same time not taxing overly on the public. So, that will be the challenge this year," he continues. "It's important that the public comes out and has an opportunity to hear some of the things that have been prioritized and get a sense of where the board wants to go."

Cuddington urges anyone interested to attend the budget meeting as the division would love feedback on what is to come. 

If all goes to plan, the superintendent says that the budget could be finalized in March.