The provincial government is pumping extra money into school divisions with a boom in enrolment.
Education Minister Russ Marchuk made the announcement this morning in Saskatoon. It’s the first time ever that the ministry is giving extra mid-year funding to overcrowded schools.
More than six and a half million dollars will be divided up in school divisions across Saskatchewan. The most will go to Saskatoon, Warman and Martensville, which have the highest jumps in enrolment.
Marchuk also announced funding for more portable classrooms.
"If I could sing the words 'it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas' came to mind when I was listening to the ministers announcement,” said Ray Morrison, chair of Saskatoon Public Schools. “It’s very positive news for us.”
Right now, education funding is based on the previous school year's enrollment. But that hasn't been enough for schools that continue to grow each year.
The province says it will come up with a new funding formula that better manages rapidly growing school populations.
"It's our mandate and i have directed the ministry that in the 2013/2014 school year we will be using current enrollment and using the best data available and that data will come to us from the school divisions and from the work the ministry is doing,” Marchuk told reporters.
