REGINA — The Prairie Valley School Division Board of Education has approved its 2026-27 budget.
Prairie Valley’s operating budget for the 2026-2027 school year is $118 million, representing a $1.2 million increase from 2025-2026. The budget includes nearly $5.0 million in targeted funding to address classroom complexity, along with a total of $1.3 million to support four specialized classrooms, three more than in 2025-2026.
“This year’s education funding has allowed Prairie Valley to modestly strengthen division-level staffing supports, and the three additional Specialized Support Programs will better serve our most vulnerable students,” Board Chair Janet Kotylak said.
“While this stability is welcome and helps protect core services, it does not fully address the significant and growing needs in our classrooms. Consistent, predictable funding increases are still required to ensure students have access to the full range of programs and supports they deserve and to close the gap created by years of underfunding.”
Funding has been provided for non-teaching salaries and benefits, along with recognition of inflationary pressures. This support enables school divisions to better meet operational needs, including transportation and facility maintenance, the board says.
Despite these investments, the board noted that significant pressures remain. Cost increases for utilities, technology, contracted services and transportation continue to strain operating budgets, the board states in a press release.
The board continues its advocacy for a strategic province-wide approach to address the ageing infrastructure challenges in rural school divisions. With identified facility upgrade needs exceeding $120 million, the current annual Preventative Maintenance and Renewal allocation of $3.2 million limits the division’s ability to address all priorities, the board says.
Prairie Valley is projecting a planned operating deficit for 2026–27, which will be funded with reserves. The board emphasized that reserves are a finite resource and are not a long-term solution to structural funding pressures.
