It's not known yet exactly how changes in education funding announced Saturday by the provincial government will impact the Foothills School Division.

Superintendent Chris Fuzessy says they do know unfortunately it means some layoffs in support staff and transportation.

"We did have a follow up call with Alberta Education on Monday morning where they shared with us that there would be a number shared with us in terms of a reallocation of funds away from education and towards COVID-19 response so we await that number at this point before we make any final decisions but that's where we'll see that impact," Fuzessy says.

He says they do know they'll see a 14 per cent reallocation in their instructional grant and 51 per cent from the transportation grant from April into and including June.

Fuzessy says they have a rough idea of what it might be but they want final numbers in place before making decisions that directly impact staff.

Assistant Superintendent Drew Chipman says that loss in the transportation grant means they had to hand out temporary layoff notices to bus drivers starting Tuesday.

"The reduction in transportation funding also reflects a loss that, savings will be realized through not spending our whole fuel budget," Chipman says. "We are working with our bus driver's association, we've committed to continue them on benefits during their temporary layoff, so we've worked the best that we can to make sure that this is as limited an impact on them as it could be. We've certainly tried to supply them other supports, provincial or federal that they may look to, some of the new programs that the governments have put into place to deal with those that are being laid off."

Fuzessy stressed in a statement of the school division web site the layoffs are in no way a reflection of the work done by the staff of the division.

 

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