Rick Bartolucci, MPP for the City of Sudbury was in town Monday morning to make a major funding announcement to the four area school boards for the 2005-06 school year and to reaffirm the McGuinty government’s commitment to spend more than $20 million for Sudbury Schools to support the New Era of Student Progress. “Area school boards will this year receive budget increases totaling $20,019,921,” stated Bartolucci at a Press Conference held at North Eastern Elementary. The money, which is part of a second full year of an extraordinary province-wide $8.3 billion, four-year increase in publicly funded schools will help ensure stability and a new era of progress for kindergarten to Grade 12 students.

• Sudbury Catholic District School Board will receive an additional $2,496,840 (projected increase of 4.3%)
• Conseil scolaire du District du Grand Nord de l’Ontario will receive $2,981,983 (projected increase of 8.2 percent)
• Conseil scolaire du District catholique du Nouvel-Ontario will receive $4,153,910 (projected increase of 5.1 percent)
• Rainbow District School Board will receive an additional $10,387,188 (projected increase of 8 percent)

“The McGuinty government has increased funding by more than $900 per pupil since taking office to provide smaller class classes, more individual support, new resources and more opportunities for high school students. Funding for more than 3,100 new teachers leads the expansive list of new investments this year,” announced Bartolucci. “Province-wide, the increase for 2005-06 will total $820 million, including $50 million in reinvestments generated by savings paid for by reforms in the funding formula. This boost, combined with ongoing funding, will bring our total education investment this year to $17.2 billion. Targeted investments will support more results for students in strategic priority areas, including literacy and numeracy skills for elementary students and more help for struggling high school students,” concluded Bartolucci.

Hugh Lee, Superintendent of Business and Corporate Affairs for the SCDSB welcomes the $2.5 million in additional funding. “The infusion of the $2.5 million for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board is of great significance. It means more money for our Grade 9 One to One Laptop Program, for Early Literacy and Junior Literacy Programs and Teacher Development,” stated Lee.