Save Our Rural Schools

February 22:

Today I received the following press release from the Sask Party. In my opinion, this is not good enough. In the first place, why should a community be obliged to jump through hoops to prove that they should keep their school? Which civil servant is going to make the decisions?

In the second place, it is the Provincial Government which has created these monster school divisions, and and therefore the government is ultimately responsible for what is now occurring.

Saskatchewan Party Caucus News Releases
Sask. Party Proposes Two New Measures In Support of School DivisionsPlan Would Offer Support For Children When Schools Face Closure
Friday - January 26, 2007
REGINA—Saskatchewan Party K-12 Education Critic Rod Gantefoer has today written the NDP Learning Minister with a proposal to offer several new tools to local school boards who are struggling with difficult and emotional decisions regarding school closures.
Under the Saskatchewan Party plan, specific money would be set aside for what would be called Schools of Necessity and Schools of Opportunity.
“Schools of Necessity could be eligible for extra money from the province if children were being forced to spend more than a set time on the bus,” Gantefoer said. “Extra money would help keep the school operating and provide technical assistance for the delivery of specialized programs.”
Gantefoer added Schools of Opportunity would qualify for support if a community was realistically anticipating a new economic development opportunity in the future that would bring new families to the area—a development opportunity that might be lost if a school was not available.
“These funds would be limited and available to help schools that meet stringent criteria,” Gantefoer said.
“And nothing in this plan would take away from the duty and rights of school trustees to make the decisions they feel are in the best interest of local students. We only want these boards to have more tools available as they plan for the future.”
Gantefoer said school boards tell him the current foundation operating grant system does not contain measures targeted to specific schools facing extra costs because of distance.
“This has to be fixed,” Gantefoer said. “I think more has to be done, and that’s why I’ve made this proposal to the Minister today.”
-30-
For more information, Saskatchewan Party Caucus, Regina, 787-4300.