PROVINCE RESPONDS TO BOUGHEN COMMISSION

Learning Minister Andrew Thomson today announced the government's response to the final report of the Commission on Financing Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education led by Ray Boughen.

"Today, I am pleased to announce the first part of a three-phased program to renew our school system. These three phases will focus on renewing and restructuring school divisions, developing a fairer system of funding from the provincial treasury, and committing to a long-term solution to lowering education property taxes in Saskatchewan." Thomson said.

"In making these changes to modernize our school system we must ensure that schools meet the needs of today's students. However, they must also face the challenges of changing demographics, growing infrastructure and service demands, and concerns about growing costs to support the system."

Specifically, the government announced that it would:

- Establish a three-member Education Equity Task Force, chaired by former STF General Secretary Fred Herron, to recommend new division boundaries based on a map of no more than 40 school divisions, with no fewer than 5000 students in each division, and to ensure that all divisions would be eligible for funding under existing provincial government programs. The Task Force and Saskatchewan Learning will work with stakeholders, including the Saskatchewan School Boards Association, the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation, and other employee groups to facilitate a smooth transition to more sustainable districts.

- Call for a moratorium on school closures during the transition period from September 1st, 2004 to December 31st, 2006, to ensure that the transition does not impact on school closures.

- Direct that all savings from the amalgamations be redirected at the regional and local level into educational services.

- Direct Saskatchewan Learning to work with its stakeholders to develop a new system of school operating grants that is simpler, fairer, and more transparent.

- Direct Saskatchewan Learning to work with education stakeholders to develop a new accountability mechanism at the local level that builds on the SchoolPLUS model and incorporates a new role for teachers, parents, ratepayers and community agencies in schools at the community level to maintain local accountability.

- Dedicate 30 per cent of new and ongoing compensation on equalization from Ottawa to property tax relief, to shift the balance off education property tax.

"This renewal represents the most substantial changes to the school system since Tommy Douglas' government introduced school district reform in 1944. These new changes will restore fairness and equity to the school system and will help make sure it is sustainable in the coming decades. It will also ensure that new money will be better able to support students from across the province."

Thomson said the Province recognizes that property owners, and particularly agriculture property owners, are concerned about the level of education property tax. He said the government intends to address this as its fiscal situation improves.

The announcement was held at Balgonie Elementary School, located in the Qu'Appelle Valley School Division that has recently undergone the restructuring process when the former Buffalo Plains, Cupar and Indian Head school divisions amalgamated.

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For More Information, Contact:

Jacquie McLean Learning Regina Phone: (306) 787-5609