Weyburn Comprehensive School (WCS) will have a renovated roof in time for the 2004 Saskatchewan Summer Games in August, at a cost of $460,000.

The tender bids will close on April 21 and the winner will be announced on May 10. The work is to commence immediately and be completed by end of June.

The Weyburn Comprehensive School board voted at its regular meeting on Monday to do away with the skylight dome on the roof, at a cost of $16,000. The cost was too high, board members said.

The section will be filled up and lighting will be installed to keep the area illuminated. This will cost 70 per cent less and the board felt that with the work the WCS needs, the money should be used elsewhere.

Students and staff at the school have had to dodge buckets on corridors, in classrooms and offices during the past month, as the old roof leaked water during the snow melt. The provincial department of education will foot 70 per cent of the total cost while the Comp board will contribute the remainder.

Secretary-treasurer Bruce Kwochka also informed the meeting that Saskatchewan Learning has released new figures on which school boards will have to base their budget cost per student. The amount is now $5,760, up from $5,271 in 2003.

The board agreed to sponsor WCS deputy principal Wade Oberg to attend the 2004 Canada Wide Science Fair in St. John's, Nfld. from May 15-23 at the cost of $1,525.

WCS principal Ken Larson told the board it's time to review the school's budget allocation. The school had been using the same budget for the last four years and it's necessary to increase the cost per student so as to reflect the changes and increases in academic materials and services, he said.

"The cost of essential items such as text books are no longer fitting the budget and they need to be covered," said the principal.

Larson said the school has a new plan to improve parent attendance at parent interviews. In the past, attendance has been only 25 per cent and the school wants to see this go up to 75 per cent in three years.

The board was informed that Grade 9 students have registered for Grade 10. Grade 11 students will register for Grade 12 this week. The students were first given tours of the classes being offered.

The school has phased out Practical Applied Arts 10A and introduced courses in Construction 10, Electronics 10 and Auto Mech 10. The PAAB10 with machining, welding and electricity/electronics is being retained.

Larson asked the board to put aside funds to renovate the water heating system. The building has only one water heater, installed in the 1970s and a back up is needed. Hot water doesn't get to some areas of the buildings, including the boys locker rooms, he said.