A story in the May 29 Gazette stated local school boards are facing tight budgets due to a change in the calculation of the Alberta Weekly Earnings Index, which sets teacher salary increases each year.
The story said the provincial government’s spring budget only provided funding for a 4.82 per cent increase while the index set the increase at 5.99 per cent. In fact, this was the budget situation in 2009, which was resolved by an arbitrator earlier this year. The government has since provided school boards with money to cover the balance of the 5.99 per cent increase.
However, school boards still face a cash crunch because the last provincial budget did not include funding to cover the three per cent increase that teachers are due this year.
The Gazette apologizes for any confusion created.
