Budget development process
Budgets for the upcoming school year are based upon several factors, including projections of student enrolment, staffing requirements, program requirements, school and transportation operating costs, and more. The Ministry of Education has a June 30 deadline for school boards to submit their budgets for the upcoming school year. Components of budget requirements and related expenses are developed between January and April, then comparisons to funding revenues are done in May and June to develop a complete budget. This entire process is dependent upon the timely release of funding information, including Grants for Student Needs from the Ministry of Education, to meet the June 30 deadline for budget submission to the Ministry of Education.
The Physical Planning, Finance and Building Committee reviews budget development and ultimately provides a recommendation to the Board of Trustees regarding the budget for the upcoming school year. Board approval is required before the budget can be submitted to the Ministry of Education.
Budget development timeline
January
• Review the budget development timetable
February
• Review the budget risks for upcoming year
• Establish budget guidelines and priorities (in alignment with the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan)
• Review various budget documents (information and format)
March
• Review preliminary enrolment projections
• Review preliminary staffing requirements
April
• Review final enrolment projections and staffing requirements
• Portfolio/Department budgets
• Review Grants for Student Needs, and Priority and Partnerships Funding
May
• Review the preliminary budget
June
• Review the final budget
• Recommend the final budget to the Board of Trustees
Public consultation
Public consultation is an important part of the budget planning process. In January, internal and external stakeholders have the opportunity to provide input on their priorities for the upcoming school year. This input, along with internal/staff projections and Strategic Plan priorities, inform budget planning.
In January 2023, public input was invited through an online forum. Through that process, 659 respondents shared nearly 500 thoughts in response to the question, "As we plan the budget for the next school year, what are the most important things HPEDSB should consider in order to support all students?"
Results of public input for the 2023-2024 Budget (pdf)
Budget documents