KITCHENER -- Waterloo Catholic District School Board trustees had a first look at the proposed budget for the 2020-21 school year on Monday evening.
The school board is projecting a $314 million budget next year, which represents a $15 million increase over last year.
There are cost increases based mainly on the expectation that the board will have 458 new students in the fall.
Staffing costs are expected to increase by $11 million. Board officials said they'll need another 64 full-time staff members, including teachers, education assistants and early childhood educators.
Extended day programs are also likely, according to the meeting on Monday.
The board needs to submit its final budget by Aug. 19, two weeks after the deadline to decide which model of learning will be used for the 2020-21 school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last month, the provincial government said schooling next year could be in-person, online or a combination of the two.