The Provincial Comprehensive High Schools Administration group will be submitting a proposal to the Saskatchewan Education aimed at better utilization of comprehensive high schools and recognition of their unique status within the province.

Ken Larson, principal of the Weyburn Comp, reported the proposed changes to the Comprehensive School Board on Monday night. Larson said the proposals were hammered out at a Nov. 17 meeting with the League of Educational Administrators, Directors, and Superintendents (LEADS), who are supporting the proposal.

The changes are mostly aimed at declaring comprehensive high schools throughout the province as Regional Learning Centres, or educational centres offering more specialized educational facilities, such as an up-to-date welding lab with a journeyman instructor, in addition to a normal high school curriculum.

The result, Larson said, would be educational institutions with facilities able to be used by out-of-town schools, instead of merely by local high school students. In fact, Larson said, this was the original intent of the comprehensive high schools when the institutions were built throughout the province in the 1970s.

But he said the transformation would require a great commitment on the part of the provincial government, including increased funding and allowing the schools to possibly increase hours of operation. "We need a massive infusion here to replace all the 30 to 40-year-old equipment here," he said.

More than trying to switch to more efficient management, Larson said, the proposed changes are also about the comp schools being "recognized as having a unique role in fostering the visions of education in our province."

The $200,000 slated for obtaining or developing space for the Comp band room will not go towards the Performing Arts Centre.

Director of education Jan Chell reported the grant, which was conceived as a possible launch to construction of the Performing Arts Centre, was too small to start a project of this size and magnitude.

"It's not enough to get a first stage on that project" she said.

The money, given as part of the new college expansion, was slated for creating a new band room, she said. Two options were available: the development of a whole new and separate room, or the renovation of existing space, such as that within the Performing Arts Centre.

Instead of the second option, Chell said, the school will now opt for developing its own space.

Chell also reported on the status of negotiations for the PanCanadian $150,000 advanced technology fund.

The fund has been given to the school board and Southeast Regional College over the past three years. Representatives have already met throughout the month to discuss possible locations for the new technology learning lab.