The provincial government has announced an increase to the funding of public school divisions by $20.8 million.
The 1.56% increase to the budget brings the total to 1.35 billion dollars, which Education Minister Cliff Cullen says is the highest total investment in Manitoba’s history.
Included in the increase is $6.7 million for base funding for public schools and $5.5 million for special needs funding.
The news release from the province says Manitoba has the third-highest spending per student in Canada at $14,815, after Saskatchewan and New Brunswick.
The province is continuing to ensure that all school divisions will receive no less than 98% of the operating funding they received a year earlier.
In addition to the funding increase, education property taxes will be frozen and the province will provide a Property Tax Offset Grant equivalent to a two per cent property tax increase, or $22.8 million.
