Latest news with #Bill64
Hamilton Spectator
21 hours ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Seine River School Division finds surplus at end of error-filled financial ‘roller-coaster'
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. 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. 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. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Seine River School Division finds surplus at end of error-filled financial ‘roller-coaster'
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. SUBMITTED / FREE PRESS FILES 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. Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. 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. 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. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
The Hill
21-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Tennessee lawmakers send anti-transgender bathroom bill to governor's desk
Tennessee's Republican-dominated Legislature voted Thursday to send legislation to limit access to facilities at residential education programs 'by immutable biological sex' to Gov. Bill Lee's (R) desk, where it is expected to be signed into law. Tennessee senators passed House Bill 64 Thursday in a 25-4 party-line vote. The proposal, one of several this session to zero in on transgender young people, is geared toward summer camps and pre-college programs that allow students to stay overnight. The bill's sponsor, Tennessee Republican Rep. Gino Bulso, told a House subcommittee in February that he introduced the legislation after an unnamed constituent complained to him that the directors of a summer program their daughter planned to attend at a local private university asked them whether their child would share a room with a transgender girl. The constituent declined, according to Bulso, but told the lawmaker that the program's organizers also failed to inform them that their daughter would be sharing bathroom and shower facilities with the transgender student. 'The purpose of this bill,' Bulso said in February, 'is just to see to it that this does not continue to happen in the state of Tennessee.' The state House voted 74-18 in favor of the bill earlier this month. Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) ordered troopers to remove at least one protester from the gallery after Majority Leader William Lamberth (R) cut off debate. State Rep. Aftyn Behn, a Nashville Democrat, said the move was part of Republicans' 'pattern of weaponizing their supermajority status to either punish a disparate worldview or block minority voices from the conversation,' according to The Tennessee Lookout. Tennessee Republicans during Thursday's Senate debate said the measure is needed to protect women and girls' private spaces. Democrats and state LGBTQ rights groups, which have called for Lee to reject the legislation, said the bill unjustly and disproportionately impacts transgender youth, who make up just a fraction of the population. 'I don't think any of us ever hear from our constituents that they want us to come up to the legislature to bully trans people,' said Democratic state Sen. Heidi Campbell. 'These issues are very personal, and the government, in my opinion, should not have a role in it.' Tennessee law already bars transgender students in K-12 schools from using facilities and playing on sports teams that match their gender identity. In 2023, the state was among the first to adopt a law rigidly defining sex as only male and female, determined 'by anatomy and genetics existing at the time of birth.'
