SASKATOON – School boards across Saskatchewan are pleased that provincial collective bargaining with teachers has concluded with today’s signing of a new collective agreement by the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee and the Teachers’ Bargaining Committee.

“We appreciate all the work that the parties have done to come to an agreement resulting in today’s signing in Saskatoon,” said Dr. Shawn Davidson, president of the SSBA, which represents the province’s 27 school boards.

The details of the agreement will be made public by the signing parties.

As part of the process, the SSBA appoints four individuals to represent school boards as employers on the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee, which also includes five representatives from the Government of Saskatchewan as the funder of education.

“We know there has been a lot of attention on the negotiation of this agreement, within our sector and from members of the public,” said Davidson. “School boards can now move forward with the timely implementation of the agreement and focus on a successful conclusion to the 2024-25 school year.”

School divisions will be working quickly to implement the provisions of the new agreement in their local contexts and understand the implications for their budgets. The province has committed to fully fund the agreement, but determinations of division-specific funding allocations have been awaiting the final agreement language.

“We know there is work ahead for boards related to this agreement,” said Davidson. “We are committed to this work and focussing our collective efforts towards every student having the resources they need to thrive.”

REGINA – The 2025-26 provincial budget announcement reflects recognition by government of some pressures identified by school boards, according to the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA).

“This is a step in the right direction and should allow for boards to continue programming at current levels,” said Dr. Shawn Davidson, president of the SSBA, which represents the province’s 27 school boards. “However, we will work with government on greater investment to address the needs of all students.”

While some details are still to be determined, Davidson at this point expects boards won’t be facing cuts due to increased funding that recognizes enrolment growth, inflation, and collectively bargained agreements. Allocations in the budget don’t fully address the funding gap in education that boards have identified, but shouldn’t result in them falling farther behind, Davidson continued.

The capital announcements in the budget will help address infrastructure shortfalls, Davidson said.

“There’s always more fence than paint, but there are significant investments here,” he stated. “There are major capital projects, particularly in Saskatoon, where growth is substantial.”

In terms of the Preventative Maintenance and Renewal (PMR) portion of the budget, Davidson noted the increase is welcome.

“It’s not at our target of one per cent, but we are moving toward it,” Davidson said, noting the new funding level will equate to about half of one per cent of school value allocated annually.

Priorities of the Provincial Education Plan (PEP) are reflected in the budget, particularly in regard to early years literacy and mental health, Davidson said.

The SSBA will be working with school boards over the coming months to unpack the particular implications of the budget in their local contexts, he added.

REGINA – A project led by the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) to expand school food infrastructure in Saskatchewan has been approved to receive $1 million in federal government funding from the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) School Food Infrastructure Fund (SFIF).

The project “Expanding school food infrastructure in Saskatchewan: Ensuring equitable reach” will distribute up to $1 million to eligible organizations across the province who are serving school food and nutrition programs for children and youth in need.

“We are thankful to the Government of Canada for its support of this approach, which will see school food infrastructure dollars flow through to local communities in Saskatchewan where they will have the most impact,” said Dr. Shawn Davidson, President of the SSBA. “Supporting school food programs has been an important focus for locally elected school boards, and this is one exciting new way in which we are able to help reach our goal to reduce known barriers to learning, attendance and school success.”

Key project outcomes will include increasing the capacity of organizations to provide or upgrade food preparation spaces, storage, equipment, and transportation/delivery that improve the food environments within schools and strengthen community food security.

“Stay tuned for more information about how this project will roll out,” said Davidson. “This grant helps us to leverage and build upon the many existing partnerships and programs that already help to ensure children and youth are not hungry at school or worrying about their next meal. We have more work to do to solve this problem and Saskatchewan people and communities will play a big part in helping us get there.”

Eligible recipients are community-based, not-for-profit organizations engaged with school food programs.

The SSBA will monitor the progress of recipient activities, and support the program through our School Food Roundtable, Kaylee Michnik, SSBA School Food Programs Researcher and Kelly Berlinic. Kaylee was instrumental in exploring and securing this grant, and Kelly has long supported a school food grant through the Mosaic School Nutrition Challenge.

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Funding for this project has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the School Food Infrastructure Fund (SFIF).

Ce projet est financé par le ministère de l’Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada sous le Fonds pour l’infrastructure alimentaire scolaire (FIAS).

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REGINA – The Northern Lights School Division Board of Education has received the 2024 Premier’s Board of Education Award for Innovation and Excellence in Education for its submission of “Indigenization in Northern Lights School Division No. 113”.

The Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) co-ordinates the Premier’s Award each year. The award was presented on behalf of Premier Scott Moe during the SSBA’s Annual General Assembly on Monday.

“I am pleased to see the Northern Lights School Division Board of Education’s innovative approaches to promoting indigenous culture in education,” said Education Minister Everett Hindley. “The Government of Saskatchewan applauds the division for its leadership in reconciliation through education.”

In its application for the award, Northern Lights said of its submission: “The focus on Indigenization permeates the school division, evident in all schools and in every partnership … The journey to addressing (Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action), Indigenization and decolonization was developed to engage our students in the context and historical place inhabited by our people since time immemorial. There has been a concerted effort to engage our students in cultural activities on the land, in their language and honouring their knowledge, values and history.”

“Almost 90 per cent of our nearly 4,000 students identify as Indigenous, so this work for us has significance that extends far beyond test results and memorizing textbooks,” said NLSD board chair Joey McCallum. “It is our great honour and privilege to receive this award tonight and we thank the province for its recognition of such a vital project.”

To view a video about the award recipients, please visit: https://youtu.be/ivMfuprzLGI

At its assembly, the SSBA also recognized:

• Award of Distinction – David Thompson (Lloydminster Public)
• Award of Distinction – Audrey Trombley (South East Cornerstone)
• Degree Program Scholarship sponsored by Aon – Gurseerat Sandhu (Saskatoon Public)
• Technical/Trades Program Scholarship sponsored by Manulife – Ava Gasper (Sun West)

The SSBA is also selecting a new 2024-25 Provincial Executive, which will be led by Dr. Shawn Davidson (Prairie South), who was elected to the position of President by acclamation.

REGINA – School boards throughout the province will again officially recognize “Orange Shirt Day”, on Monday, Sept. 30, together with communities across the country, as requested annually by the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA).

Sept. 30 has also been proclaimed federally in Canada as National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

“On behalf of Saskatchewan’s 27 school boards, the SSBA is encouraging everyone to participate in Orange Shirt Day,” said Jaimie Smith-Windsor, president of the SSBA. “This day represents an opportunity for our school communities, and all residents of the province, to expand our understandings, to reflect on the history and harmful legacy of residential schools, and to commit to growing together and toward reconciliation.”

To provide opportunity to unite in a spirit of reconciliation and hope for our future generations, Orange Shirt Day is part of a larger movement in the country.

This day was first proclaimed in Saskatchewan in 2016, and the Government of Saskatchewan proclaims the day every year at the request of the SSBA.

REGINA – The Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) applauds the funding commitment and principles outlined in the National School Food Policy announced by the Government of Canada today.

School food and nutritional programming is a priority for Saskatchewan’s 27 locally elected boards of education who adopted a resolution in 2023 to advocate provincially and nationally with the Canadian School Boards Association (CSBA) for the development of a healthy, universal, cost-shared school food program funded by the federal and provincial governments in consultation with all school boards.

“We know there is a universal need in this country and this commitment to school food and student nutrition is really important for Saskatchewan students,” said Jaimie Smith-Windsor, president of the SSBA. “This policy acknowledges the need and the opportunity to work collaboratively with partners and all levels of government to implement locally designed food programs that meet the unique needs of our school communities.”

School boards are ideally positioned to work with the Government of Canada, the Government of Saskatchewan, and First Nations and Indigenous Communities to operationalize the National School Food Program to ensure it is as effective and efficient as possible through a community-by-community approach that continues to leverage and build upon the many existing partnerships along with cultural and local expertise.

The National School Food Policy, resulting from national engagement with diverse stakeholders and the public, builds on the commitment of $1 billion in the 2024 Federal Budget to create a new National School Food Program. It recognizes that collaboration with other orders of government will be essential and there is a commitment to work with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners to deliver a National School Food Program, with support beginning as early as the 2024-25 school year.

School boards look forward to further discussions and collaboration on the implementation of the program. SSBA School Food Program Advocacy information available here: https://saskschoolboards.ca/advocacy/advocacy-activity/.