On My Mind

In local news, there has been an issue with the school division in which I reside concerning the transfer of tuition to the school division in which my child attends school. The school board's position is that they will save money by having the parents pay a tuition fee for the child or children to attend school in the city of Saskatoon. Many of the parents and children who are affected attend school in the public system in Saskatoon as the school they attend is closer than the school they would attend in the rural division. This is not the case for my children who attend the Catholic school system in Saskatoon for the religious aspect that is available.

In the local paper the figure of $300,000 was mentioned as the cost of the students attending school in the city. What was not mentioned is that the majority of the cost quoted to the paper is for the students who will continue to attend school in the city for special educational services or for French Immersion.

At the Annual meeting for the school division in which I live there were distinctions made between "your kids" and "our kids". This distinciton is false as the children who attend the public and separate school system in the city are still the children of the division. I as a taxpayer have a vote and a voice in selecting the trustees in the division. What I did not have was an indication of the process that was used to make the decision (which was made) or an indication of how or when the process of a review of that decision would take place.

A remark was made that there were only a handful in attendance at the annual meeting the previous year. This year there were not enough chairs for all of the people who attended this year. I would suggest that beginning a process of consultation with taxpaying residents would have eliminated the confrontational nature that was in place at the meeting. If those citizens whose children attend the schools in the rural division do not attend the meeting ...

Tonight there is a meeting to discuss the formation of Catholic School Divisions which would amalgamate with the Saskatoon Catholic School division. I am interested in finding out what will be the process and the options that are open to me.