Rural Saskatchewan voters will go to the polls June 15 to elect school board representatives in 12 new divisions.
Learning minister Andrew Thomson said this will allow the new boards to be in place in advance of the restructuring on Jan. 1, 2006.
“I anticipate this will be a fairly well contested set of elections and I do anticipate that there will be a lot of voter interest,” he told reporters.
Each division will elect representatives from 10 subdivisions.
Thomson said the new boards will decide the location of board offices and the names of the divisions.
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He also announced the formation of a local accountability and partnerships panel that will develop options for local representation.
Craig Melvin, former executive director of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association and now chair of the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency, will chair the panel.
The other members are former Prince Albert teacher and administrator Shirley Gange and former Canadian School Boards Association president and Ponteix farmer Gary Shaddock.
Thomson said some schools have parent councils, for example, while others rely on their local boards. He wants a model that can address rural and urban schools.
“I hear a lot from parents, expressions of interest that they want more say,” Thomson said.
The rural tax revolts are also an indication that ratepayers need a better connection, he added.
The panel will consult until the end of April and provide its options to Thomson by May 31.
