200 New Educational Assistant Positions Highlight $2.88 Billion Education Budget

Released on March 23, 2022

The 2022-23 Budget provides a record investment of $2.88 billion that supports Prekindergarten to Grade 12 students, early learners and school and child care staff. This is an increase of $219.9 million or 8.3 per cent over last year.

"Our government is pleased to provide record investments in education spending again this year," Education Minister Dustin Duncan said. "A strong economy pays for strong public services, and we can see that in today's budget with new educational assistants and capital funding that will set up Saskatchewan students for success for years to come." 

Saskatchewan's 27 school divisions will receive $1.99 billion in school operating funding for the 2022-23 school year, an increase of $29.4 million or 1.5 per cent. This increase will:

• provide an additional $6.0 million for learning supports for students; and
• fully fund the 2.0 per cent salary increase for teachers as part of the Teachers' Collective Bargaining Agreement.

In addition to this increase, a new $7.0 million fund will allow school divisions to hire up to 200 additional full-time educational assistants (EAs) for the 2022-23 school year, as committed to in the 2021 Speech from the Throne. The additional EAs will provide support to students and assist teachers in managing increasingly diverse classrooms. 

Historical high schools and qualified independent schools will receive an increase of $2.6 million for the 2022-23 school year, for a total of $17.5 million to support enrolment increases and the creation of a new funded independent school category. 

The Government of Saskatchewan is continuing to provide safe and inclusive learning environments for students with an investment of $168.6 million to build and renovate schools. This includes: 

• $95.2 million to support the ongoing planning and construction of 15 new schools and the renovation of five existing schools;
• $4.5 million for the creation of a new minor capital renewal program that will allow school divisions to address structural repairs, renovations and additions to prolong the life of schools across the province, including renovations at Kyle Composite School and Ecole St. Margaret School in Moose Jaw; 
• $55.9 million for preventative and emergency maintenance; and
• $12 million to buy or move relocatable classrooms. 

Work is also expected to be complete on 15 school maintenance projects as part of a two-year stimulus investment of $25.9 million that was announced in June of 2020. 

Funding for early learning and child care in the 2022-23 Budget is $309.6 million. This includes $4.3 million to create 6,100 new child care spaces in centres and family child care homes as part of the province's goal to create 28,000 new regulated spaces over the next five years. 

Starting in February 2022, parents with children under the age of six had their child care fees reduced by an average of 50 per cent in regulated care. Retroactive payments going back to July 1, 2021 are also currently being processed. This year's funding will support further reducing parent fees as early as September 2022 to support families' access to affordable, quality child care. Other investments in early learning and child care for 2022-23 include:

• $2.3 million for inclusion of children with disabilities;
• $9.0 million for preventive maintenance and repair of child care facilities; and
• $11.4 million for training initiatives and supports for early childhood educators. 

An additional $655,000 in provincial funding is being provided to the Early Childhood Intervention Program to address increased demand and waitlists for young children experiencing developmental delays and disabilities around the province. 

Community-based organizations that provide early years outreach, life skills development and literacy programming will receive a two per cent increase that collectively totals $728,000.

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