The 2023/24 Operating Budget has been approved by the Rocky View Schools (RVS) Board of Trustees.

The (RVS) Board of Trustees approved the 2023–24 Operating Budget with a focus on putting money, resources, and supports right where they can make the biggest difference in students' learning, in the classroom.

“RVS remains committed to providing our 28,000 students with a world-class education and maximizing our budget to direct student learning dollars into our classrooms,” said Board Chair Norma Lang. "This budget is a reflection of what we heard from families, students and staff should be the division’s focus to improve student learning.”

A $318.2 million budget has been approved by the Board, with 92 per cent of total instructional funding from the government going directly to schools.

These funds will be used to staff classrooms and schools, purchase school supplies, and provide teaching and resource support in areas like numeracy and literacy, inclusion, the implementation of the new curriculum, English as a second language, the development of Indigenous knowledge, and mental health and wellness for both students and staff.

“The division and schools work hard to stretch every dollar of funding we receive from the province to offer students the best possible education and supports,” said Lang. “The provincial weighted moving average (WMA) funding negatively impacts growing divisions and for RVS this means that we must educate nearly 800 students next fall without any instructional grants.” As a result of the WMA, RVS will use $1 million in reserves to support the enrolment growth expected next fall that the WMA does not fund. Operating reserves at the end of the 2023/24 school year are projected to be 1.5 per cent of the total operating budget, well within the government’s guidance (1-3 per cent).

As the demand for space grows, the Board intends to keep pushing the government to provide funds for the development of urgently needed schools in Airdrie, Cochrane, and Chestermere.

With the help of this funding, RVS will continue to provide a variety of learning opportunities and settings, including two online schools, Community Learning Centres, Building Futures, and the RVS Mechanics Training Centre.

Next September, RVS anticipates welcoming roughly 1,100 more students, a 3.8 per cent increase in enrollment. The division's 1,315 full-time equivalent teaching staff will support the expanding student body while keeping classroom sizes as consistent as possible with the addition of 49 new teachers.