Rainbow board passes $181-million budget

Despite a declining enrolment, the budget for the Rainbow District School Board is going up.  Next school year the board will spend $181-million and the slight rise is because of early learning kindergarten.  But at the high school and elementary levels, the board will have 302 fewer students.  On the plus side, an expected rise in adult day school programs will minimize the impact of overall declining enrolment.   Part of the budget includes extra money so schools can fight off rising electricity costs.  Coupled with savings and a declining enrolment grant from the province, the board produced a balanced budget for next September.  Nearly 80 percent of the board’s budget, which works out to $141-million, goes to salaries and benefits.