Seine River School Division finds surplus at end of error-filled financial ‘roller-coaster'

Winnipeg Free Press

21 hours ago

After 18 months of widespread disruption tied to budgeting errors, a rural school division says it's on track to get out of the red sooner than expected — thanks in part to what officials admit were 'over-corrections.'
The Seine River School Division provided staff members and student families with an unexpected update on its financial health late Tuesday.
The Lorette-based board office, which recorded a $4.1-million surprise deficit in 2023-2024, is projected to end June with a surplus ranging between $2 million and $2.5 million.
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chief superintendent Colin Campbell
Senior administration is attributing the U-turn to a second major miscalculation in financial planning in just as many years.
'It doesn't give our kids back the year that they needed or make sure that kids are hitting their educational targets,' said Alexina Key, a mother of four school-aged children in St. Norbert.
Key said she is frustrated and in disbelief about the reocurring mistakes that have resulted in significant staffing and programming cuts, as well as finger-pointing at previous leaders.
An external probe initiated by Manitoba Education in early 2024 found decision-maker oversights and high turnover on Seine River's superintendent team were to blame for shoddy projections built into the 2023-2024 budget.
The financial fiasco, first made public in November 2023, has led to reduced school budgets and administrative spending and the end of a free, extended-day kindergarten program known as Kids at Play.
Area schools stopped lending iPads outside instructional hours to find technology-related savings. They also introduced fees for busing, extracurriculars and optional courses to balance the budget.
'Over-corrections were made in some areas, and we recognize the impact this situation has had, especially on staff members who were affected by job changes, families who lost access to valued programs, and students who were not able to receive some services or who were placed on waitlists,' states a new letter signed by chief superintendent Colin Campbell and Wendy Bloomfield, chair of the board of trustees.
The June 10 memo said an internal review over the winter months identified an error in the current budget that was developed under previous administrators. Corrected data show the division will eliminate its deficit a year ahead of schedule, it said.
'(Budget cuts) were made in good faith based on the information available at the time. Even so, the consequences were real, and we are committed to doing better,' it added.
Campbell, who joined the division in December, is the sixth person to serve in the division's top administrative role since the summer of 2021.
Four years ago, the looming threat of Bill 64 — the former Progressive Conservative government's ultimately failed plan to amalgamate divisions — sparked an exodus from the board office in Lorette. It has has been a revolving-door workplace since.
The last two years have especially been a 'roller-coaster,' said Bloomfield, one of the longest-serving school trustees in the province with more than 40 years of experience.
'We're not happy to have to come forward with this and say, 'There's another calculation error,' but it is what it is,' the 12-term trustee told the Free Press.
She and Campbell said their team shared an update on Tuesday to be transparent, rebuild trust and show they have nothing to hide.
They indicated an extra $3 million was unecessarily budgeted for staffing at one school in the division encompassing Ile des Chênes, Ste. Anne and surrounding communities in southeastern Manitoba.
Campbell said decision-makers need to be 'good stewards' of their newfound savings, adding it would not be responsible to immediately rehire staff or reinstate programs with recurring costs.
Jonathan Waite, president of the local teachers union, said he is encouraged about the division's 'up front' discovery and early elimination of the deficit.
Waite said in a vague statement that he will continue to discuss the matter with Campbell, and he is looking forward to what lies ahead in 2025-2026.
Campbell has pledged to increase communication on financial planning with managers of all kinds, and ensure more people review estimates in the future.
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Seine River will be subject to an independent audit in the coming months as part of Manitoba's annual budget-oversight process for its 38 school boards.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education indicated officials were made aware of the latest budget challenges in Seine River.
'You don't get into the school trustee game unless you care. That is a pretty thankless job when it comes to politics, but the lack of accountability and the flip-flopping…. It makes it hard to be thankful,' said Key, a mother of children in grades 4, 7, 9 and 10.
She noted that the current board, which was formed after the 2022 municipal elections, has overseen all of the financial problems.
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Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter
Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie.
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