A final stamp of approval from the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board for the 2025-26 budget.
The board of trustees met Tuesday evening and approved a balanced budget of $348-million.
This budget maintains the board's commitment to key priorities such as special education, mental health, and faith formation for students.
The board's total estimated expenses for the 2025-26 fiscal year are $348.6-million, compared to $322.2-million for 2024-25 - an increase of $26.4-million. However, this surplus is funded through in-year grant revenue which increased this year by $28.7-million.
Staffing is the largest expenditure for the board and takes up approximately 80 per cent of the budget at $279.1-million. The budget also sees $46-million allocated for special education, $1.65-million for mental health spending, and $1.27-million for faith development expenses.
The board is anticipating an increase of 780 students for the 2025-26 school year with enrollment projected at 22,925 students. Two-thirds of education funding is based on enrollment - meaning the WECDSB is expected to see an increase of $9.9-million in grant revenue.
The 2025-26 budget projects an accumulated surplus of just over $36-million at year-end.