CTF applauds Minister of Education's intervention in School Boards Budgets

WINNIPEG: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation responded to reports today that Education Minister Ron Lemieux will put a lid on School Division spending unless serious changes are made.

"The merger-mania that we have seen with some Winnipeg school divisions is clearly not the panacea for escalating education costs," stated Provincial Director Adrienne Batra. "Although we commend the Education Minister for stepping in, it appears to be a day late and a dollar short since the deadline for school divisions to table budgets is Friday."

In 2001 when school division amalgamation began, the CTF warned that amalgamation of the metro-school divisions would lead to higher taxes for all homeowners. Harmonized collective bargaining agreements will drive up salaries and benefits to the highest common denominator. Issues over harmonized transportation services and class size limits will also likely favour the more costly option.

River East Transcona School Division proposed a 13.5% increase and the St. James Assiniboia School Division will be voting for a 12.5% increase. "School division taxes have increased by over 80% since 1990, but what makes this worse is just over a month ago, school division trustees requested a 34% pay hike. This is outrageous and it is time for spending to be reigned in," said Batra.

The latest round of proposed hikes has renewed the argument for the need of school divisions in Manitoba. Homeowners would be much better served by centralizing spending through the Finance Minister and de-centralizing governance issues like curriculum development by putting the power back into the hands of the parents, principals and educators.

"The Minister's reaction to the school division's budgets is just one step closer to making them irrelevant and there is little doubt that trustees are either incapable or unwilling to find any type of savings," concluded Batra.