By Ryan Pilon

School funding model delayed

Feb 17, 2011 | 5:40 AM

School divisions throughout the province will have to wait at least another year for a new funding model.

The funding model has been in the works for two years now and was supposed to be implemented this year.

However the province has found inconsistencies. Some divisions would be getting about 15 per cent more money, while others, 15 per cent less.

“It’s raised a number of significant questions, which has made me pause and feel that it needs to be analyzed further,” said Minister of Education, Donna Harpauer.

“This has to do with the distribution of funding, not the amount of funding. Our government has committed significant increases to the funding for education, and to the money that goes to school divisions.”

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Bill Cooke, the director of education for the Saskatchewan River School Division, said not knowing how much money they'll get for the fiscal year makes things difficult.

“It doesn’t really do much of a service to the rate payers of the school division or the children, when the people who are trying to make decisions about spending the money most appropriately, don’t know how much they have,” said Cooke.

“It’s very difficult for boards and administration to plan when we don’t know what the funding model will be.”

While Harpauer said understands the school division’s disappointment, she said she wants to get the model right the first time around.

“I understand their disappointment. It was their own peer groups that designed this formula. It just has concerns, it’s not ready. It would pit one school division against another,” Harpauer said.

While Cooke agrees it’s important to get the model right, he wishes there was more transparency.

“The announcement we heard, you know, 15 per cent more, 15 per cent less, that’s the first time we’ve heard that. This is a huge secret. We have no idea where this fell off the rails and that makes it even more awkward,” said Cooke.

The school divisions will have to wait until Mar. 23 to find out how much grant money they will get.

rpilon@panow.com