One school has been removed from the Prairie South School Division list as they move ahead with the final review of six local schools.

 

In a press release issued Friday morning we learned that the local school division is still reviewing six schools. Prairie South is currently looking at a 5 million-dollar budget short fall and they need to find a way to trim spending. School closures and grade cut backs are possible.

Here is the press released we were provided.

 

 

Board considers the future of six schools

The Prairie South Board of Education approved motions to consider grade discontinuance and/or closure of six of its 45 schools at its regular meeting Thursday.

In January, the Board met with the school community councils of seven schools to review options for the schools’ futures. The seven had been identified for initial review following the adoption of a set of criteria developed by the Board to assist in their 2007-08 school review process. One of the schools under review in January – Eyebrow – will not move forward onto the list for consideration.

"The meetings were extremely valuable to the Board and gave us an opportunity to learn more about the schools and their communities," Board Chair Gord Stewart says. "Now, we are moving to the next step of what we believe is an effective, fair process that will ensure we can continue to provide quality learning opportunities to all students across the division."

The Board will hold electors’ meetings at each of the schools under consideration. The schedule is as follows:

École Ross School (Moose Jaw) 7 p.m. Feb. 12 École Ross School gymnasium

Chaplin School 7 p.m. Feb. 13 Chaplin School gymnasium

Willow Bunch School 7 p.m. Feb. 14 Willow Bunch School gymnasium

Briercrest School 7 p.m. Feb. 15 Briercrest School gymnasium

Crane Valley School 7 p.m. Feb. 20 Crane Valley School gymnasium

Limerick School 7 p.m. Feb. 21 Limerick School gymnasium

Stewart said a combination of declining enrolments, reduced government funding and increased program demands mean that some sort of change is necessary if the division is to be sustainable and viable into the future. Closing schools is one option, as are mill rate increases and staff reductions. In addition, the Board will continue its lobbying efforts to increase education funding.

"In proceeding to this next step, Board members made it very clear that ‘consider’ does not mean ‘closure,’" Stewart noted. "These meetings, and this consideration period, are an opportunity for all of us interested in the education of our children to be a part of shaping the future of that education in our local communities. We have some tough decisions ahead of us and we want to be sure we are fully informed when making those decisions."

Following the conclusion of the electors’ meeting, the Board of Education will have a three-month time period to consider the information gathered in the meetings, as well as any other information that communities may wish to share through emails, letters or delegations. The Board will make its decision in May.

Prairie South School Division No. 210 operates 45 schools with a total enrolment of just over 7,200 students. The division covers an area stretching from Craik in the north to the U.S. border in the south, and Mankota in the west to Rouleau in the east, and includes the city of Moose Jaw.