Louis Riel School Division Board of Trustees Adopts 2026–2027 Budget
March 10, 2026, Winnipeg, MB – At a special meeting on Tuesday, March 10, the Louis Riel School Division (LRSD) Board of Trustees approved an operating budget of $281,731,342 for the 2026–2027 school year, a 2.89 per cent increase over the previous year. This translates to a mill rate increase, for home and property owners, of 9.99 per cent.
The budget prioritizes core classroom support while maintaining essential system‑wide services and investments in student learning and wellbeing. Cost reductions, deferrals, and efficiencies were used to arrive at a balanced budget that includes the elimination of the accumulated deficit.
“Our responsibility is to steward public dollars carefully while responding to growing student needs,” said Jamie Rudnicki, Secretary‑Treasurer & Chief Financial Officer. “This budget stabilizes LRSD’s financial position and ensures resources remain focused on classrooms and student supports, while we continue advocating for long‑term solutions to infrastructure pressures.”
The approved budget incorporates substantial community feedback collected via LRSD’s Budget and Strategic Priorities Survey. Respondents consistently identified priorities including class size and composition, student support services, mental health and wellbeing, and issues related to aging infrastructure.
“This budget reflects the voices we heard from families, staff, students, and community members,” said Sandy Nemeth, Chair of the LRSD Board of Trustees. “The Board worked to balance affordability for taxpayers with the need to maintain safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments for students. It is regrettable that for another year, we are deferring infrastructure improvements; however, classroom and student needs must come first.”
Budgetary decisions were implemented throughout all areas of the organization, with an emphasis on preserving classroom size and student support services. Trustees emphasized that inflation, increasing enrolment, years of austerity by previous governments, and binding contractual obligations, are contributing to ongoing and increasing financial strain.
“Our community was clear: students need support, classrooms need stability, and schools need to be safe and welcoming places,” said Christian Michalik, Superintendent & CEO. “This budget reflects those priorities while continuing our commitments to equity, reconciliation, and student wellbeing, even in a challenging fiscal context.”
Louis Riel School Division Invites Community Feedback Following Budget Meeting (Budget 2026-27)
Jan. 22, 2026, Winnipeg, MB – The Louis Riel School Division (LRSD) is inviting staff, families, and community members to share their perspectives as planning continues for the 2026–27 operating budget, following a community budget meeting held yesterday evening.
LRSD currently serves more than 17,400 students across 41 schools. While enrolment, student needs, and operating costs have increased significantly, funding—derived from a combination of provincial support, local property taxes, and other revenues—has not kept pace with inflation and the full cost of delivering public education.
“The Board’s responsibility is to balance the needs of students with the community’s ability to fund public education,” said Sandy Nemeth, Chair of the LRSD Board of Trustees. “This process requires difficult conversations, and we believe those conversations are strongest when they are informed by community voice.”
Budget Pressures and Trade-offs
LRSD’s preliminary $281 million budget for 2026–27 maintains current staffing levels only and includes no additional staff. Even so, funding increases are required to cover unavoidable cost pressures such as wage and benefit increases tied to negotiated agreements, experience increments, inflation, and enrolment-driven demands.
To help balance the budget, the Division has proposed reductions and deferrals in:
• Supplies and services
• Technology investments
• Maintenance of aging school buildings
“The budget increase does not represent program expansion,” said Jamie Rudnicki, Secretary Treasurer and CFO. “It reflects the higher cost of delivering the same programs and supports, even as we reduce spending on supplies, services, and maintenance to manage overall costs.”
Education remains largely a people-centred service, with over 80 per cent of LRSD’s budget dedicated to staffing. At the same time, one in five students now requires specialized learning, behavioural, mental health, or intensive supports, adding pressure to classrooms and schools.
“Last night’s community meeting made it clear how deeply people care about their schools and the experiences of students and staff,” said Christian Michalik, Superintendent and CEO. “Their voices help guide both our budget planning and our advocacy for adequate, predictable, and sustainable funding.”
Have Your Say
LRSD encourages community members to complete the 2026–27 Budget Survey to share their priorities and feedback. The Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership will use survey responses to further inform budget discussions.
The survey is open until Feb. 27, 2026, and is available here.
Drafting the 2026-27 Budget Community Meeting
Missed the meeting on Jan. 21, 2026? You can watch a recording here or view the slide deck here. See an infographic highlighting the key messages from the presentation here.
Related resources
Budget archive
Explore previous year's budget documents.
FRAME budget
FRAME is the standardized method of accounting and financial reporting for school divisions/districts in Manitoba.
Financial statements
Access audited financial statements for the Division.
Public sector compensation disclosure
Browse the public sector compensation disclosure information for the Division.
Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains
Access the Division's prevention and reduction reports.
Education Property Tax Estimator
The education property tax calculator is provided to assist in projecting property taxes based on the budget and the impact of assessment.