Rocky View Schools (RVS) set its budget priorities for the 2024-25 school year at its Feb. 15 board meeting.

Priorities include enhancing facilities and technology infrastructure and targeting an operating reserve balance at year end in addition to providing direct resources to schools to support student learning with a focus on numeracy and literacy and supporting student and staff wellness.

Superintendent of RVS schools, Greg Luterbach recapped how RVS now has a new education plan that aligns with a strategic plan and how it affects their 2024/25 budget priorities.

Trustees accepted and advanced the priorities and goals of the 2022-2026 strategic plan recommended at the RVS budget committee on Feb. 1.

"The majority of that committee wanted to take those strategic plan priorities and zoom in a little bit, be a little bit more focused," said Luterbach.

The trustees agreed to limit optional course fees increases to a maximum of $5 or three per cent, except for optional course fees related to food and construction materials, which can increase by 10 per cent. There is no school-wide blanket optional fee increase and no new alternative program fees for programs of choice for the 2024-25 school year.

For this current school year (2023-24), schools were provided the following directions about school fees:

  • No increase to any optional course fees by greater than $5 or 5.5 per cent.
  • No additional school-wide fees or system-wide fees.
  • No fees can be charged for routine school supplies.
  • No fees for Christian and French Immersion programs and no supplemental allocation.
  • No new alternative program fees for programs of choice.
  • Sports academics with external partners will have a fee determined between the partner and RVS.