Subscribe
Donate
Donate

Manitoba’s School Board Amalgamations—Before and After

Forced amalgamations of school divisions have not lived up to their billing. Instead of saving money, they raised costs substantially.
Published on June 24, 2005
Dennis Owens
Latest News | Education | Publication

Executive Summary

  • In 2001, Manitoba’s Minister of Education announced that the number of school boards in the province would be reduced from 54 to 37.
  • One of the main reasons given for the change was efficiency, that the reduction of unnecessary duplication would save up to $10 million.
  • Despite that prediction, overall spending by amalgamated school divisions has been greater than it was prior to amalgamation.
  • Administrative cost savings have been almost negligible, with reductions in the order of only 2.6%, or half a million dollars, in amalgamated school divisions.
  • A previous Frontier backgrounder, Amalgamating School Boards Not an Answer, had found virtually no correlation between school board size and per-pupil expenditures. This finding is confirmed in the analysis of post-amalgamation school division expenditures.
  • Upward wage harmonization and the equalization of working conditions are largely responsible for substantial increases in personnel costs in amalgamated school divisions.
  • The time and energy spent on the amalgamation process would have been better directed towards meaningful education reform.

    • Share | Email | Print

    Featured News

    MORE NEWS

    Groupthink on School Boards is Not Inclusive

    Groupthink on School Boards is Not Inclusive

    Jun 15, 2024

    The recent by-election in the Louis Riel School Division (LRSD) attracted a lot of media attention, much more than usual. That’s because this was the seat vacated last November by former Ward 1 trustee Francine Champagne. To say that her short tenure was controversial...

    Keep or Can the New Canada Water Agency?

    Keep or Can the New Canada Water Agency?

    Jun 7, 2024

    In May, the federal government announced it was creating a new organization called the Canada Water Agency.   It will have a 5-year budget of $85 million, staff of 215, half of which will be located at a new headquarters in Winnipeg. This is part of a broader effort...