An extension of the moratorium on school closures at least until next year is one of the positions adopted by the new SUMA Board of Directors at their first full meeting last weekend in Regina. The Board will be asking the Minister of Learning to request that school boards consider the economic and demographic potential of the affected local school areas as criteria for evaluation potential school closures.

“We read today’s S.O.S. (Save Our Schools) rally as another sign that consultations between school boards and the communities affected by potential school closures have been less than adequate,” said SUMA President Allan Earle.

The Board is also looking for the Provincial Government to increase their share of school funding for all property classes, even beyond the possible boost of the school tax rebate from 8 to 10 percent as announced in the March 22 Budget, pending approval of the March 19 Federal Budget’s new equalization formula. As part of the Education Tax Coalition, SUMA supports the call for the Province to provide at least 60 percent of school funding, thus reducing the burden on the local property tax base.

The SUMA Board again confirmed their support for the Province getting a fair equalization deal from the Federal government and will be requesting a meeting with the Conservative MPs in Saskatchewan to press the case for a more equitable resolution of the equalization issue as well as discuss other Federal issues with direct or indirect impacts on municipal operations.

Other decisions taken by the new Board can be reviewed on the SUMA website at www.suma.org. As representatives of all city, town and village councils in Saskatchewan, the Board is planning a further Strategic Planning Session for April 27-28.