DBSN Board of Trustees passes 202122 budget with 22 million increase

The District School Board of Niagara's budget is increasing by $22 million for the next school year.

The Board of Trustees passed the $522,651,000 budget during the regular meeting yesterday.

Officials say the average cost of education per student for the upcoming school year is expected to grow by $152 per student compared to this year.

In total, the cost per student is expected to be $12,686.

Part of the increase is attributed to 1,400 more students enrolling at DSBN schools for the new school year, requiring over 70 new teachers.

Board Trustees also say the government has included $153,000 in additional permanent funding for mental health programs.

The budget also includes $30,000 for maintenance and equipment for synthetic turf fields and tracks.

The DSBN currently has eight synthetic turf fields and tracks and trustees expect to add more in the future.