The Education and Welfare Board has received a request to review the criteria for granting school transportation to residents of other localities.

According to the Kihniö school transport guide: Transportation for students attending school in a foreign municipality or secondary school (other than a local school as defined by the municipality) is not arranged or reimbursed when the student applies to another school on their own. A condition for a student to attend school in a foreign municipality or secondary school is that the guardian must arrange the student's school trips themselves.

In addition, preschoolers and students in grades 1–2 are required to walk to the main road (or another location indicated by the driver) 1,5 kilometers away, students in grades 3–5 3 kilometers away, and middle school students in grades 6–9 5 kilometers away. Students will not be picked up at their homes.

The municipality of Kihniö is not obliged to cover the costs or arrange school transport for residents of other localities. However, exceptions have been made at discretion over the years. The municipal strategy of Kihniö advocates that the municipality receive more students, which will contribute to the continuity of the comprehensive school. A school transport from the municipal border has also been arranged for students from other localities. In addition, discretion has been used in arranging transport outside the municipal border depending on the situation. The fees have been agreed together with the guardians. In the future, the transport for residents of other localities should be unified to ensure equality.

When calculating costs, the total costs and the ratio of costs to existing statutory costs must be taken into account. In addition, changes in school transport prices throughout the students' schooling must be taken into account. School transport contracts should be made for one academic year at a time, so that costs can be reviewed when contracts change, so that in the future the school transport costs of residents from other localities will not cost the municipality more than the home municipality compensation received from the student.

The Education and Welfare Committee's proposal for the budget for 2025 and the financial plan for 2026-2027.

General: The largest expenses of the Education and Wellbeing Committee consist of personnel costs and internal rents. Cleaning services have been transferred to a technical service and the service is paid for in connection with internal rents. The share of internal rents has increased considerably, which affects the adequacy of the appropriations. In addition, ICT services, licenses for various operating systems and the increase in food prices significantly increase the expenses of the Education and Wellbeing Committee compared to the previous year. Salaries are examined on a vacancy basis. A 2% increase is calculated for salary costs. The net of the Education and Wellbeing Committee consists of the above-mentioned personnel costs and other expenses in accordance with the 2024 level, however, taking into account the savings targets approved by the council for the committee, totaling approximately €200,000.

Early childhood education: Early childhood education is centralized in Kihniö at the Kettukallio daycare center. For 2025, the requirement of the Early Childhood Education Act regarding the future staffing of early childhood education teachers, which will increase salary costs, has been taken into account.

In accordance with the legal obligation, all children under school age and those in need of special care are guaranteed a place in early childhood education. The number of young children will possibly increase in the budget year, which may also affect the number of staff.

The Wilma early childhood education system will end in 2025.

Grammar school: Kihniö has one comprehensive school, which includes grades 1–9 and a preschool. The staff includes a principal, teachers, school counselors, a school youth worker, and support service staff. The central goal of preschool and basic education is to create a safe and consistent learning path for students.

In the budget year 2025, Kihniö Comprehensive School will transition to flexible primary education. The fate of the upper grades will be considered at the beginning of the next decade.

The school transport tender was held in 2021. The new contracts were valid until July 31, 2024. The first option year is currently in use, after which it is possible to agree on a second option year.

The comprehensive school has two special education small groups, staffed by two special education teachers and school guidance counselors. Special education is separated into its own budget item.

The Ministry of Education and Culture is preparing an amendment to the Basic Education Act concerning learning support in pre-primary and basic education, which is expected to come into force on August 1, 2025. If the draft law is passed, preparing for the reform of the support and updating the local curriculum will require additional resources.

Support services:

In accordance with national regulations, the budget has separated administration and food supply into separate support service units, the costs of which are divided into different budget items.

Administration: The salary costs of the welfare director, the principal, the office secretary and the Wilma manager have been allocated to the administration's personnel expenses. The appropriations allocated for the remuneration and travel allowances of the Education and Welfare Board are in the Education Board's administration item.

Food service: The personnel costs of the kitchen staff of the comprehensive school and the appropriations for raw materials are distributed to different budget items in proportion to the number of diners.

Clearout: Cleaning services have been transferred to a technical position on August 1, 2024.

Other educational activities:

Library: The library's goal is to provide all citizens with information, culture, entertainment and opportunities for study. Kihniö Library maintains its already established cooperation with schools and promotes reading among children and young people, for example in the form of reading diplomas and book recommendations.

The library is staffed by a full-time library director and a part-time library clerk. Through the PIKI library, customers have easy and quick access to the collections of libraries throughout Pirkanmaa.

Music and Civic Institute: The funds are proportional to the number of students and are reduced for the music institute. They enable basic studies to be completed and provide hobby opportunities.

Exercise and leisure activities: The aim is to maintain the activities at the current level and to organize a wide range of sports opportunities for people of all ages. A leisure activity instructor works in the leisure activity. The projects will finance any other employees.

The budget for 2025 has allocated 4.250 euros for grants to the sports sector. The leisure sector provides associations and organizations with equipment, facilities and sports venues to organize sports schools.

The gym has had good attendance and the activities will continue. The free shift for pensioners will continue in 2025. The leisure instructor will also contribute to the gym activities.

Youth activities: The budget has allocated 5.750 euros for youth work grants, from which the municipal government decides the amount of the salary subsidy to be paid to the 4H association.

The youth center, established in 2024, will continue its operations and at the same time organize various events and activities for young people.

Cultural services: The cultural services are managed by the cultural affairs office secretary and the welfare director. The cultural affairs office organizes various events and exhibitions within the budget. Veterans Day and Independence Day celebrations are also organized together with the parish.

The summer guide's salary is paid for cultural services. In Wanha Puumila, the guide organizes various cultural and music events.

Museum services: The museum has been open during the summer from Tuesday to Saturday. The municipality organizes the museum's opening hours itself. The museum services are paid for by the museum's guide's salary. The museum's opening hours will be reduced in the summer of 2025.

Promoting well-being and health: The promotion of well-being and health has been transferred to the Education and Well-being Board from the beginning of 2023 with the establishment of well-being areas. The board's mission statement has been redefined in the administrative regulations in 2023. Half of the salary costs of the well-being director have been recorded under the heading of well-being and health promotion.

Agenda attachments:

The budget of the Ministry of Education for 2025 and the financial plan for 2025–2026 (text part) (Appendix 1).

The Education Committee approved the Kihniö Municipality Sports Service Rewards Regulations at its meeting on 21 March 2007 (Section 13). In accordance with the regulations, justified proposals for rewards have been requested from Kihniö non-profit associations that engage in sports. The Education Committee changed the club worker award to a volunteer award at its meeting on 2 November 2022 (Section 86).

There have been only a few proposals for selecting the awardees, which is why the criteria and selection procedure for the sports awardees need to be updated.

In the future, the list of sports award recipients should be expanded to include those awarded in leisure activities. In addition, candidates could be nominated not only by organizations but also by private individuals.

The leisure instructor will review the well-founded proposals and make proposals to the Education and Welfare Board for those to be awarded. Those selected will be awarded at the Independence Day celebration.

The Education and Welfare Board's revenue realization percentage is 79,6 and its expenditure realization percentage is 74,5. The operating margin percentage according to net budgeting is 73,5.

Decisions of the Director of Welfare for the period 5.9.-13.11.2024.

The next meeting of the Education and Welfare Committee will be held on November 27th at 6:00 PM.