Calgary Public Schools receives $7 million for unique cost of teacher benefits
Edmonton... The Government of Alberta will give one-time $7 million assistance to the Calgary Board of Education for unique teacher benefit expenses it incurred as a result of the recent arbitrated wage settlement.
The arbitrated settlements across the province were consistent, with the exception of the one imposed on the CBE, which increased board payment of teacher benefits from 70 per cent to 100 per cent. This increase cost the board an additional $7 million, over and above their 14.09 per cent salary increase. The CBE has indicated that they will adjust their budget in future years to account for this increased cost.
"This one-time payment will keep the Calgary Board of Education on equal footing with other school boards in the province," said Learning Minister Dr. Lyle Oberg. "We recognize that the board could not have reasonably anticipated this large jump in benefit payments and were therefore unable to budget accordingly this year."
The general arbitrated salary increase cost all school boards across the province approximately $260 million. Alberta Learning provided $298 million to boards to cover the salary costs.
This $7 million funding injection comes from 2002/03 economic cushion. Alberta Learning also received $60 million to cover the cost of paying the teachers' portion of the pre-1992 teachers' pension unfunded liability for one year as a result of the Good Faith Agreement of April 2002.
Government also provided an additional $1.3 million to support increased number of Alberta students receiving Rutherford Scholarships.
