THE WINNIPEG SCHOOL DIVISION

1577 Wall Street East, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 2S5

Telephone: (204) 775-0231

FAX: 774-6211

KRISTINE K. BARR

CHAIR OF THE BOARD

January, 2008

 

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Re: Important information in regard to your children’s education

 

As school divisions prepare their budgets this year, a lobby group is once again preparing to pressure      the provincial government into removing the ability of a school division to levy property taxes to pay for          programs and services that are not covered by provincial revenues.

 

Why should you care?

 

Your children will be directly impacted should this Division lose its taxing authority, which currently provides 38 per cent of the Division’s total revenue.

 

Many well-established and successful programs and services would be at risk. For example local property taxes:

¨ completely support a nursery program;

¨ subsidize a nutrition (breakfast) program;

¨ subsidize services for over 5,600 special needs students;

¨ subsidize services for over 4,000 students who require English-as-an-additional language (EAL)

         Supports;

¨ subsidize programs such as the International Baccalaureate, French immersion, Hebrew bilingual, Ukrainian bilingual;

¨ subsidize transportation of students to school; completely pay for building improvements such as window replacements and electrical upgrades.

 

Which programs and services from the above list do your children currently benefit from?

 

Your children deserve the best education possible. Revenues from property taxation allows school

divisions to provide education supports and services valued and wanted by the local community.

 

The Board of Trustees of the Winnipeg School Division works diligently to maintain the property taxes at

a reasonable level. We have heard from parents/guardians that these programs/services are important.

 

We hope you will continue to support the ability of school divisions to be able to use their taxing

authority to provide these necessary programs/services.

 

Thank you for taking time to read this letter. For more information, please call your Ward Trustees, visit

the Division’s website: www.wsd1.org or call the Board Office: 775-0231.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Kristine Barr

Chair of the Board of Trustees