May 3, 2024, Steinbach, MB. – The Board of Trustees has reviewed the letter sent by the Parent Alliance for Diversity to the Department of Education. Additionally, we have had the opportunity to engage in a productive conversation with the Minister of Education, the Honourable Nello Altomare.

杏吧论坛 will continue to fully adhere to the Manitoba curriculum and Provincial legislation. The Board is committed to providing all students with a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment, as outlined in our Respect for Human Diversity Policy.

We would welcome a meeting with the Parent Alliance for Diversity to hear their concerns and engage in respectful dialogue.

– 杏吧论坛 Board of Trustees

April 9, 2024, Steinbach, MB.

Joe brings significant leadership experience to his new role, having held administrative and teaching positions in the 杏吧论坛 for the past 28 years. He has also served as President of the Hanover Council of School Leaders and Chair of the Professional Development Committee for the Hanover Teachers Association. Joe is currently the principal of Mitchell Elementary School, a position he has held since 2004. His classroom teaching experience includes teaching in early, middle, and senior grades. Between 1995 and 2003, Joe held teaching positions at Woodlawn School, Blumenort School, and Niverville Collegiate Institute.

Joe completed a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from the University of Manitoba in 2005 and a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Education from the University of Manitoba in 2003. He also served as a faculty advisor for the Faculty of Education from 2001 to 2002. Joe completed his Bachelor of Education Degree at Brandon University in 1995.

“As a board, we are very pleased that Joe has accepted this new challenge. He has a lot of administrative and teaching experience within the Division and his deep commitment to community engagement made him an excellent candidate for this position,” stated Board Chair Brad Unger. “Joe has a deep love for education and seeing students thrive. He works really well with staff in all capacities, encouraging growth and leading from the front as a servant leader. He is a man of solid character, and we are excited about his deep desire to lead the 杏吧论坛.”

On behalf of the 杏吧论坛, the Board of Trustees congratulates Joe on his new position and wishes him all the best for the upcoming 2024-25 school year.

PDF Version

Steinbach, MB. March 5, 2024 – The 杏吧论坛 Board of Trustees has approved the 2024-25 school year budget. The new budget allocates $119.8 million to enhance student education and aims to reinstate some of the staffing and services that were reduced in previous years. With enrollment projected to increase by 5% (approx. 398 students), the budget corresponds with continued divisional growth and provides funding to address critical support needs.

杏吧论坛 will receive an additional $4,026,249 in provincial funding for the 2024-25 school year, which represents an increase of 6.2% over the previous year. As with all school divisions in Manitoba, provincial funding comprises only a portion of total operating revenue. The remaining required revenue (approximately 40% of the budget) must be obtained through education taxes in the form of a division-wide Mill Rate. To ensure educational expenses are covered, the 2024 Mill Rate will increase from 11.99 to 12.74, which reflects an education tax levy increase of 6.25%. Compared to the previous year, the education tax levy on a sample house assessed at $285,000 will result in an approximate increase of $50 annually when considering the education property tax rebate.

The provincial government’s announcement to restore school boards’ authority to raise local taxes has enabled the Board to address 2024-25 budget concerns such as enrollment increases, negotiated salary adjustments, and increases in fixed costs such as utilities. Consequently, this marks the first school tax increase in the 杏吧论坛 since 2017.

The 杏吧论坛 strives to provide the best education possible for all children in our care. The 2024-25 school year budget reflects a mindful approach to the impact of local taxation while balancing the educational needs of school communities.

• 2024-25 Budget Planning Presentation (PDF)
• News Release (PDF)
• School Taxes FAQ

The 杏吧论坛 Board of Trustees invite applications for the position of Superintendent/CEO of Schools. Duties are scheduled to commence effective August 1, 2024 or as mutually agreed. View job description and application details on the .

Please send a cover letter & resume by March 18, 2024, to:

CEO/Superintendent Search
c/o ROAR Leadership Consultants Inc.
Email: royseidler@roarleadership.com

June 29, 2023 – Steinbach, MB. – Construction has begun on an addition to Mitchell Middle School in 杏吧论坛, Consumer Protection and Government Services Minister James Teitsma and Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko announced today.

鈥淭he Manitoba government is proud to support capital projects that have a positive impact on vibrant rural Manitoba communities

and families who live, work and attend school there,鈥� said Teitsma. 鈥淭his addition to Mitchell Middle School will address current enrolment needs, accommodating 100 additional students and their families in the community.鈥�

Hon. Wayne Ewasko Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning announcing the beginning of construction.

The approximately 5,400-sq.-ft. addition will cost $3.6 million and includes four new classrooms, service spaces and new washrooms.

鈥淥ur government is committed to giving students across Manitoba access to high-quality educational opportunities,鈥� said Ewasko. 鈥漈his addition will enable Mitchell Middle School and 杏吧论坛 to better serve students and families in the community of Mitchell and the surrounding area, and ensure students have the best possible environment to learn, grow and strive for academic excellence.鈥�

Design of the new classrooms was completed in February and the addition is scheduled to be operational by September 2024.

鈥淲e are grateful to the Government of Manitoba for their ongoing support and timely action in adding four classrooms to Mitchell Middle School,鈥� said Ron Falk, board chair, 杏吧论坛. This addition not only reflects the growth of our community but also addresses the pressing need for additional space to accommodate for increases in enrollment.鈥�

Mitchell Middle School is a Grade 5 to Grade 8 school with approximately 290 students and 32 staff. The school offers a broad range of programs including French, band, choir, art, drama, music, guidance, English as an additional language, human ecology and technical education.

This investment is part of the Manitoba government鈥檚 $260-million commitment for new and continuing school capital projects during the 2023-24 school year, including more than $90 million for renovations and additions.

Left to Right: Jim Funk (RM Reeve), Charmaine Toews (HSD Trustee), Ron Falk (HSD Board Chair), Hon. Kelvin Goertzen (Minister of Justice and Attorney General, MLA Steinbach), Hon. Wayne Ewasko (Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister), Shelley Amos (HSD Superintendent-CEO), A.J. Neufeld (MMS Principal), and Shayne Barkman (HSD Trustee).

Steinbach, MB. March 23, 2023 – The 杏吧论坛 Board of Trustees has approved the 2023-24 school year budget. The new budget invests $105.9 million in the education of students. The Board worked diligently to find budget solutions that address enrollment growth amid significant fiscal challenges.

Although provincial operational funding increased by $1,123,800 (1.8%), in addition to $850,800 in Property Tax Offset Grant, operating costs are projected to rise by $4,668,000. The cost increase is primarily due to inflationary measures and expected wage settlements, which creates a deficit of $2,693,400.

To meet provincial budget guidelines, the Board will reduce expenditures in teaching positions by $1,250,300 (10.5 full-time teachers), transportation by $314,600 (bus replacements), school maintenance by $292,000 (projects) and IT infrastructure by $100,000. An additional cost reduction of $236,500 will be achieved by eliminating existing divisional programs and services. The Board will cover the remaining budgetary gap by allocating $500,000 of surplus. In addition to the reductions outlined, 杏吧论坛 will not add the equivalent of 15 full-time teachers needed to accommodate anticipated growth (additional 279 students) for the 2023-24 school year.

杏吧论坛 adheres to the taxation guidelines provided by the Province of Manitoba, which no longer allows divisions to raise additional funds through taxation. Therefore, the school taxation levy will not increase homeowners’ average school tax bill. Instead, as a direct result of new property growth within the Division, the average ratepayer will see a decrease in their school taxes of 3% for the third consecutive year.

The Board of Trustees continues to work with the Provincial government to address the needs of our students. The 2023-24 budget reflects fiscally challenging times for the 杏吧论坛.

• View Budget Infographic (PDF)
• View News Release (PDF)

Steinbach, MB. Nov. 2, 2022 鈥� The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that Ron Falk will serve as Board Chair and Brad Unger as Board Vice-Chair for the upcoming 2022-23 school year. As voted on by fellow trustees, the annual appointments are for a term of one year.

Ron Falk was first elected as a school trustee in 1992 and served as Board Chair for 11 years, from 2002-2008 and from 2014-2019. He was appointed Vice-Chair for the 2019-2020 school year and has served as Chair from the 2020-2021 school year to the present.

Brad Unger was first elected as a trustee in 2014 and has served on the Board for eight years. This appointment will be Brad’s first term as Vice-Chair of the Board.

杏吧论坛 congratulates Ron Falk and Brad Unger and wishes them all the best in their board administration roles.

Steinbach, MB. October 27, 2022 – 杏吧论坛 is pleased to announce the official results of the 2022 Manitoba School Trustees Election held on Wednesday, October, 26, 2022.

As previously announced, three trustees were elected by acclamation on September 22, 2022. Jeff Friesen and Dallas Wiebe were elected in Ward 1 (Bothwell, Crystal Springs, Kleefeld, and Niverville), and Cheryl Froese was elected in Ward 4 (Grunthal).

Six trustees were elected on election day. Shayne Barkman and Charmaine Toews were elected in Ward 2 (Blumenort, Landmark, and Mitchell). Lynn Barkman, Ron Falk, Danielle Funk, and Brad Unger were elected in Ward 3 (Steinbach). View full results.

杏吧论坛 thanks departing trustees Sue Doerksen, Jonathon Driedger, Shannon Friesen, Carisa Klassen, and Rick Peters for their service to our school communities.

The inaugural meeting of the new Board of Trustees will occur on November 1, 2022.

Steinbach, MB. – Feb. 17, 2022 – The Board of Trustees would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to the staff of Steinbach Regional Secondary School and the senior administration of 杏吧论坛 for their professionalism in managing the difficult situation that unfolded during the school protest on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. They navigated complex and challenging circumstances while keeping students safe and working to minimize the disruption to classes and daycare operations.

Although those who organized/attended the protest may have intended for the demonstration to be peaceful, protests involving large crowds are fluid and can become volatile. As such, the RCMP and school staff needed to take precautionary steps to ensure that the protest (which included unknown adults) remained outside of the school facility. Failure to do so could have led to additional verbal and physical confrontations within the school and unpredictable outcomes. The Board of Trustees is in full support of the decision by school staff to issue a Hold and Secure, which resulted in the locking of entry/exit doors.

Protesting is a fundamental right in Canada and an essential part of our democracy. However, protesting on school or daycare property is not an appropriate place. It was disheartening and disappointing to learn how this protest disrupted the school day and instilled fear in some of our students. Schools should be places where students learn, develop, grow and explore, not where they feel unsafe. As a Board, we respect the right to protest peacefully but urge all protestors to remain off school property during such demonstrations.

Board of Trustees
杏吧论坛

Steinbach, MB. September 8, 2021 – The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that Ron Falk will serve as Board Chair and Rick Peters as Board Vice-Chair for the upcoming 2021-22 school year. As voted on by trustees, the annual appointments are for a term of one year and are effective immediately.

Ron Falk was first elected as a school trustee in 1992 and served as Board Chair for 11 years, from 2002-08 and 2014-19. Ron was appointed Board Vice-Chair for the 2019-20 school year and Board Chair for 2020-21.

Rick Peters was elected as a school trustee in 2014 and served as Board Vice-Chair from 2015-19. Rick was appointed Board Chair for the 2019-20 school year and Board Vice-Chair for 2020-21.

杏吧论坛 congratulates Ron Falk and Rick Peters on their new appointments.