School governance announcement to be made with March budget

Premier Brad Wall has continually said the government will consider everything when it comes to dealing with the province's $1.2 billion deficit. 

Wall said the province's education ministry, lead by Don Morgan, has had conversations with school divisions across the province about transformational change.

Wall said an announcement will be made with the budget when it's released March 22. 

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In regard to appointed school boards, Wall said there has been consensus support for elected school boards throughout the province.

"There's concern around an appointed board system in education," Wall said, adding he would just leave it at that until the budget. 

Wall's statements are in reference to a review of the k-12 system written up by Dan Perrins last year. 

Perrins' report concluded elected boards are the most effective way to represent local voices. School boards make decisions on everything from busing and classroom sizes, to funding and accountability, to school maintenance.

Unlike the health regions, where a government body is in place to direct regions to coordinate and cooperate on purchases to drive down costs, education purchases are usually made independently by each board.

"Ask various school boards if they're doing the same thing yet, even on buses, even on basic supplies," Wall said. "I'm not sure that's happening to the extent it should've."

Wall said he thinks the province has missed out on being more efficient with money.

"I do think there's room for — that the status quo is not on — that we need to see greater cooperation and coordination on procurement issues," Wall said.

"Busing shouldn't be dependent on who's got the better out, the separate or the public system," he added.

There are currently 18 public school boards across the province.