Submitted by the Province of Manitoba
The Manitoba government will continue to prioritize protecting Manitobans and maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for all students, teachers and staff with projected spending of over $154 million from the Safe Schools Fund during the 2020-21 school year, Education Minister Cliff Cullen announced on Feb. 25.
“Our government believes the best learning environment for students is in schools and classrooms, and that is why we continue to make record investments in our education system,” said Cullen. “We are still facing the challenges of the ever-changing COVID-19 pandemic, so we need to help our schools prepare and be ready to adapt come the start of the next school year.”
Funds remaining from the $185.4-million Safe Schools Fund will be provided to school divisions on a per-pupil basis for the coming 2021-22 school year. These funds will help bolster staffing, prioritize health and safety, and support learning and technology. The Manitoba government continues to collaborate with school divisions on additional supports as needed, based on evolving public health conditions, and planning is currently underway for the upcoming school year.
Of the $185.4-million fund, approximately $154 million is currently projected to be spent by the end of the 2020-21 school year. Current spending up to Jan. 31, 2021, supported the following:
• $31.3 million for staffing,
• $13.9 million for learning and technology,
• $13.3 million for health and safety,
• $4.9 million for personal protective equipment, and
• $8.5 million in other expenditures.
“We will continue to work with our education partners to make sure educators and school leaders have the supports and resources so students can receive a high-quality education and reach their full potential,” said Cullen.
Established in August 2020, the $100-million Safe Schools Fund includes $48 million in school division savings from the 2019-20 school year and additional $52 million in provincial funding. In late August, the federal government also announced COVID-related funding for education, creating a total pool of $185.4 million.
Earlier this month, the province announced historic investments in Manitoba’s public schools system, increasing the Funding of Schools Program for the 2021-22 school year by $20.8 million, or 1.56 per cent.
The $1.35 billion total is the highest investment in Manitoba’s history, the minister noted.
Manitoba has the third-highest spending per student in Canada at $14,815, after Saskatchewan and New Brunswick.
