The Prairie Spirit School Division (PSSD) is subsidizing the cost of bussing students from the rural area west of Saskatoon to city schools to the tune of about $48,000 annually.
The school division is currently in discussions with both the Saskatoon Public School division and the Greater Saskatoon Catholic School Division to come up with a new agreement.
During a PSSD Board of Trustees video-conference meeting May 19, PSSD Deputy Director of Education Noel Roche said the current GEMS Transportation agreement dates back many years.
GEMS is an acronym for four former one-room country schools that were located west of Saskatoon: Gideon, Ebzel, Meridian and Smithville. Students living in the rural districts served by those former schools are covered under the agreement.
“The agreement is an historic deal that was put in place prior to the amalgamation of the Saskatoon West School Division, Saskatoon East School Division, and Sask Valley School Division to form Prairie Spirit School Division in 2006,” said Roche.
“It was originally intended to cover student tuition costs, and not specifically transportation.”
Roche said the Ministry of Education provides funding to PSSD for transportation services. But, he added, that does not fully cover the school division’s expenses.
“We have a shortfall of at least $48,000 with the GEMS program,” said Roche.
“In addition, PSSD does not get grant funding for those students that attend schools in Saskatoon using the GEMS transportation program.”
Roche said there are ongoing discussions with Saskatoon school divisions to find a more equitable solution to the transportation question.
A resolution was passed by the PSSD Board of Trustees to not accept new families for the GEMS area for the upcoming school year until a new plan is established. Those families currently utilizing the GEMS transportation program will not be affected.
“We will keep what is provided in the current service and come up with a solution in the fall,” said Roche.
SCHOOL NAME CHANGES
The PSSD Board of Trustees passed a formal resolution at the May 19 meeting to add the word “Ecole” to Warman Elementary School to reflect the school’s status as a French Immersion school beginning this fall. A motion to drop the word “Ecole” from the Traditions Elementary School name was adopted in recognition that it will no longer be a French Immersion school.
PSSD BUDGET
The PSSD Board is putting the final touches on its budget for the upcoming school year. The budget will be tabled at the board’s next meeting in June.
Roche said one bright spot for the school division is a new source of funding from the federal government in the form of a $670,000 grant to use on energy-saving green projects. The funding is part of a $12 million nation-wide program created by the federal government and funded through its carbon tax.
Roche noted the federal carbon tax is currently the subject of a Supreme Court challenge by the Province of Saskatchewan.
Roche said the new Rosthern Community School is set to open this fall. The upstairs floor is completed and work is currently being done on the main floor.
He said the school division is investing considerable funds in upgrading school buildings. The division recently submitted a $2.4 million, three-year preventative maintenance and renewal plan to the provincial ministry for approval.
Four new projects are included in the plan, including repairs to the concrete exterior of the Osler School gymnasium, upgrades to the HVAC system at Blaine Lake School, and improvements to the electrical system at Warman Elementary School.
Roche acknowledged that the Warman Community Middle School has seen the most requests for service of any school in the division over the past year, and said it was unusual, since the building is one of the newest.
BLENDED SYSTEM
PSSD Board of Trustees Chair Sam Dyck said there is some uncertainty about what the new school year will look like. He noted that student and teacher safety is a priority.
PSSD CFO and Deputy Director of People and Finance Bob Bayles said the school division’s draft budget is based largely on having students back in school.
PSSD Education Director Lori Jeschke said the school division may end up utilizing a “blended system” that incorporates classroom teaching with additional reliance on online resources.
She noted that in spite of the COVID-19 disruption, the school division is continuing with programs. She said the music program, in particular, has a strong showing, with 425 students enrolled and participating in online classes.