With the provincial election coming, on behalf of the SSBA Executive and our members, school boards in our province want to take this opportunity to highlight our shared priorities for education in Saskatchewan.
We are all aware of the economic challenges our province is facing. As school boards, we are also aware of the challenge of balancing financial resources and providing much needed services. Boards of education have always tried to find efficiencies in order to optimize our resources. We continue to examine our own systems and work in cooperation with other partners to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our students.
At the same time it is critical, perhaps now more than ever, to emphasize the importance of education to our society. Our students will shape our province today and into the future. As Saskatchewan grows and changes, we must focus on renewal, and education must remain a top priority to ensure our students have the resources they need to be successful.
With a review of the operational funding model underway, we are looking for equitable distribution, as well as improved predictably and transparency, so school boards can plan and respond. As we look forward, we need to ensure that our resources are sustainable and, above all, adequately provide for the needs of our students.
It also important that locally elected boards of education continue to work closely with the women and men who are elected provincially to ensure that local interests and local circumstances are considered and are part of the decision making related to education in Saskatchewan. Locally elected school boards have a vital role in serving Saskatchewan’s publicly funded education system. The longest lasting and most fundamental responsibility of schools boards is to bring the voice of the public to publicly funded education.
We continue to remain firmly committed to the belief that all children should have access to the resources they need to achieve, regardless of where they live in the province or their personal circumstances.
On behalf of boards of education, we invite you to share with those running for office your priorities for education in Saskatchewan as well.
Sincerely,
Connie Bailey
SSBA President
For a printable, PDF copy of this letter, please click here.