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As part of the provincial government’s commitment to reinstate an elected board of trustees for Northland School Division this fall, Alberta Education is seeking community input on possible ward structures for the division.
The newly proposed Northland School Division Act says there will be between seven to 11 wards for the 23 schools and 2,700-student district.
The Northland School Division website has examples of possible maps for seven, nine and 11-ward structures. A blank map allows respondents to draw their own wards.
In-person engagement sessions are set for High Prairie (April 18), Fishing Lake (April 19), Wabasca (April 24) and Fort McMurray (May 1).
Bill 6, creating a new structure and setting up an election process for Northland School Division, was introduced April 4 by Education Minister David Eggen.
The government will also be tackling the other issues that caused then-Education Minister David Hancock to dissolve the Northland School Division corporate board in 2010 and appoint a public trustee. However, the systemic issues are not addressed in the new act.
Eggen said that beginning in January 2018, the province will increase its per pupil funding for Northland School Division by 20 per cent. Depending on enrollment, that amount will total $5 million to $6 million.
The increased funding will be provided for five years. There will also be increased capital funding.
Eggen said that Alberta Education will continue to work across ministries to address the other issues facing Northland School Division: low school attendance, low graduation rates, inadequate showings in provincial achievement testing, and poor teacher retention.
To have input into the ward system, Northland School Division community members can check out http://nsd61.ca/about-us/division-news/post/share-your-input-on-the-fut…