The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) says there will be some tough choices ahead for school divisions across the province after delving deeper into the provincial budget. “We’re falling short and divisions are going to be left with difficult decisions,” STF president Samantha Becotte said. Becotte took a day to review the education budget released Wednesday at the Legislative Assembly in Regina, and pointed to lingering concerns when the impact of the $62.2 million increase to funding is parsed. Becotte says with $16.3 million for an additional 50 specialized support classrooms and a roughly $6 million allocation outside of the funding distribution set aside for potential enrollment growth, the 2.6 per cent increase touted by the province leaves 1.7 per cent to cover all remaining expenses. “It could likely mean that class sizes are going to increase. It could mean that there are more multi-grade or multi-curricular classes,” she said. “It could mean that there are fewer professional supports like mental health counsellors or a reduction to programming.” When adjusted for inflation — which the province predicts to be 2.3 per cent in 2027 — the STF says this funding increase actually represents a per student funding decrease of $33 compared to the 2025 budget. “Adding supports is only a benefit if it doesn’t take away from what we currently have,” Becotte said. Minister of Education Everett Hindley says he was disappointed by Becotte’s reaction to the budget. Hindley says the increases to education over the last three years are nearly 20 per cent combined. “I would argue, to what other sectors do you see that sort of growth in?” Hindley said. Hindley further points to the initiatives undertaken in recent years that show the government’s commitment to education. “We’ve added 500 more classroom complexity; teachers were adding more specialized support classrooms into the province. There’s more funding for supports for learning and on and on and on,” he said. “We continue to make significant investments in education. It’s a priority for this government, and it will continue to be.” With pressure surrounding the province’s deficit budget, Becotte expects a lower-than-normal increase. However, this fell even shorter than that. Between 2023 and 2025, the provincial government and Saskatchewan educators went back and forth during a very public and prolonged contract dispute that resulted in job action, teachers battling extreme cold on the picket line and disruptions for students across Saskatchewan. Another round of bargaining is set to begin this spring, and Becotte hopes this budget is a “one off” and doesn’t eliminate the progress made since the previous dispute ended. “We’ve been pointing to this budget as a potential indicator of what collective bargaining might look like,” she said. “We’re committed to maintaining that positive, collaborative relationship with the minister, and we’re always committing to approaching negotiations in good faith.”
