The St. Clair Catholic District School Board (SCCDSB) has approved a $160.6 million budget for the upcoming school year.
That's up from last year's budget of $154.8 million.
Board Chair John Van Heck said the document supports the board’s new Multi-Year Strategic Plan.
"There's areas that are tough to balance and always have been," said Van Heck. "Inflation has been something we have to deal with and special education has never been fully funded by the province, but we move stuff around properly to make sure we balance it and still meet all the needs of our students, staff and parents."
Van Heck said other key highlights in the 2026-2027 budget include 17 new positions in special education and mental health.
"It has been a growing area in the school board for need, before the pandemic and then after the pandemic it seems to have grown a lot more," he said. "We keep adding more resources where needed, making sure we're covering off those things as appropriately as we can with the funding we get."
He said other highlights included in the document are continued investment in numeracy achievement, ongoing investment in faith formation and sustained commitment to school renewal, maintenance, and accessibility.
Director of Education Lisa Demers said the budget reflects their deep commitment to helping every student believe, achieve, and accompany one another in faith and learning.
“Our trustees have consistently supported decisions that put students first. Their leadership ensures we can continue investing in the programs, people, and environments that help our young people thrive," said Demers in a news release.
The SCCDSB manages a total of 26 schools in Sarnia-Lambton and Chatham-Kent.
