Yellowknife Education District No. 1 (YK1) has spent just about one-fifth of the almost $2.4 million it received from the GNWT for expenses related to Covid-19.
Tram Do, director of corporate services with YK1 said in a trustees board meeting on Tuesday that the district would return to the government the funds it doesn't end up using.
“As of February 2021 we have spent in total $429,428,” Do said. “Money is spent for teachers, custodians, casual wages, technology and operations and maintenance.”
The majority of the funding was intended for hiring additional teachers at Sir John Franklin high school, but due to a lack of space the district only hired two teachers.
The funds came with 114 Chromebook laptops for students to use.
Yk1’s funding share comes out of a $12.4-million pot from the GNWT that was distributed to schools across the territory last fall.
The funding is meant to be spent by June 30, 2021, Do said, though YK1 is hopeful that any unused funds could be carried into the next school year.