Sir John Franklin School - Calgary Board of Education

Keeping Students First Guides the Budget Process
Over the last two months, there has been a lot of discussion about the impact of the provincial budget on public
education. If I had to say one good thing about the provincial budget, it is, that the budget has got people from
all walks of life talking about public education.
By now you know many of the facts. As a school board, we have a responsibility to balance the budget. We are
grappling with a $61.7 million budget shortfall. When three-quarters of the CBE’s operating budget is salaries
and benefits, we cannot absorb the shortfall without affecting people.
Anyone who has ever built a budget knows it’s a dynamic process. For school boards, the process starts when
the province announces the provincial budget. In the weeks that follow, CBE administration works out how we
propose to balance the budget. Ultimately, the budget remains a proposal until it is approved by the Board of
Trustees, which this year, is scheduled for June 21, 2011.
Balancing a budget is always a challenge. It is even more difficult when we have such a significant shortfall
and everything we do is important. Some parents have asked how we make decisions.
Our decisions are guided by our values and our commitment to educate each student, every day—no
exceptions. We are also committed to personalizing student learning. One of the many strengths of our
incredible system is that we have the scale to offer a variety of programs to teach each child the way that he or
she learns best.
To close the $61.7 million gap, we promised to keep students first by asking schools to absorb the shortfall
last. Initially, we calculated that the impact on schools would be almost $25 million. By redesigning our
central services and digging deeper, we have reduced the direct impact on schools to $14.4 million. The
difference equates to about 100 teaching positions.
“Redesigning central services” might sound like a bureaucratic process but it is actually one very close to
students and classrooms. At the risk of oversimplifying very complex and important work, the redesign
involves changing how we support all of our schools with best practices for teaching. The people and functions
affected may not work in schools but everything they do supports our schools and students.
The redesign and other initiatives has helped reduce costs by an estimated $28.8 million. Together with $18.5
of reserves (our savings for a rainy day) and the $14.4 million needed from schools, we have a solid proposal
to balance the budget. We have also met our commitment to keep students first by calling on schools to absorb
reductions last.
At a time like this, it may seem like everything we do is about the budget. I am happy to report that is not true.
While we work the budget, we continue to educate our students. Calgary has one of the best public education
systems in Canada and we have the results to prove it. We are focused on educating well-rounded students,
students whose academic achievement is complemented by the development of their character, citizenship, and
other attributes that will allow them to reach their highest personal potential.
Every day, more than 9,000 CBE employees dedicate their energy and ingenuity to educate more than 100,000
students. Our efforts are matched by the enthusiasm of parents and communities who care about public
education. When a budget becomes an issue, it is not about the expense, from our perspective. A budget is an
investment in the future of our learners. A budget enables our complex and wonderful system to personalize
learning for each student, every day—no exceptions.