Nate Horner, MLA for Drumheller - Stettler, recently paid a visit to the board of trustees and Clearview Public Schools.
Trustees appreciated the opportunity to meet with the new MLA and engaged in a great conversation on education priorities and successes in our communities, noted a release.
“It was such a positive, well-informed dialogue with Nate Horner and a very proud moment for Clearview. The meeting strengthened our shared commitment to ensure our local MLA supports education in general, as well as supports our students being educated in rural communities,” said Greg Hayden, board chair.
During the meeting, trustees discussed areas that Clearview and Horner could partner and continue the successes of Clearview students.
Some key conversations during the meeting included:
- funding available to rural school boards is vital to ensure success and fairness for students in our communities.
- rural funding must be protected. Funding should be increased in key areas, and generally by inflationary measures.
- transportation funding must be reviewed to reinstate the fuel price contingency grant (when fuel prices increase) and improve ride times for rural students. Yard services should be considered part of the funding. Co-operative busing should be mandatory for all school boards.
- funding for maintenance is inadequate due to increasing, non-controllable costs and must be increased to keep small schools viable. Prior reductions should be reversed, such as removal of the special education factor.
- to find efficiencies in funding and the best use of educational dollars, a review on the future of separate, co-area Catholic school systems should occur similar to other provinces in Canada with the intent of moving towards a public school system that meets the needs of all children and students.
-submitted