At the South East Cornerstone School Division monthly board meeting on Thursday, the board met with the principals of those schools which have been identified as non-viable.

Don Rempel, Director of Education, stated from what he heard during this meeting "that it helped clarify the process in which the board is taking with non-viable schools, and that the principals of these school saw the sincerity of the board to help these schools become viable again."

While a number of factors affect the viability of a school's learning environment, a school in which teachers provide instruction to more than four distinct instructional groups or three grades in a given classroom are interpreted as non-viable.

These discussions were not about school closures, instead the board discussed with the principals a process for the upcoming months in which options in providing educational programming for the students in these schools can be examined through School Viability Committees.

These committees will be established in each non-viable school community and will include the school principal, School Community Council representation and division office staff including the Director of Education.

There was also a monitoring report presented to the board which reported the criteria for identifying non-viable schools. Twelve schools of the division's 41 educational facilities were identified as non-viable in this report.

Non-viable schools in the Weyburn area include Yellow Grass School, Pangman School, Ogema School, Lyndale School in Oungre, Gladmar Regional School, and "33" Central School in Fillmore.

A resolution was passed asking the Director of Education to report to the board in October of 2007 as to recommendations to address the status of non-viable schools across the school division. The information gathered through a process of using School Viability Committees will assist the board in its direction setting to ensure the continued success and achievement for every student in every school.

The issue of non-viable schools was one of two monitoring reports presented to the board by the Director of Education. The other was the report for the strategic plan board goal #1, that states the board has established structures for effective governance.

Some highlights of this report included the considerable work of the board in monitoring the performance of the school division through receipt of monitoring reports and a continuous agenda; and the school division's efforts to improve student success and achievement through the establishment of School Community Councils.

"It was very encouraging to have this monitoring report presented after our first year as an amalgamated school division," commented Rempel. "It gave a much clearer view of the board's goals for the school division."

In the future it is anticipated that the strategic plan board goal #1 will be monitored annually in January, within a three-four year strategic plan.

Compliance to this board goal was met as shown by evidence presented to the board. The monitoring report has been also posted on the division website so it can be viewed by the public.

The only limitations not yet met by this goal were the timelines in the establishment of School Community Councils (SCC), the board governance audit/health check, and the CEO review and evaluation.

In regards to the School Community Councils, there have been 31 out of 41 SCC's set up in schools to date, with ten not yet established.

As for the other limitations, the school board will be meeting with local government for the Weyburn area on Thursday, Feb. 15, at the Weyburn Comprehensive School at 7 p.m. This meeting is not open to the general public.

There will be community councils in March and April by the board through the School Community Council meetings, and once the dates have been set up all ratepayers will be welcomed to attend these meetings.

As well they have set a date for a special meeting to engage an external facilitator in assisting the board to evaluate its governance and the performance of CEO/ Director of Education Don Rempel on Friday, Mar. 16.

Don Rempel also discussed the recent transfer of Warren Betker from the position of principal of the Weyburn Junior High into the position of principal on assignment with the Board of Education.

"With the skills and education he brings to the position, Warren's duties will be to the system-wide needs on assessment in the school division," Rempel stated.

Temporary principal John Treso will be on contract at the Weyburn Junior High from February until June, when the board will then look for a permanent principal position.

Lionel Diedericks, Superintendent of Finance and Administration for Cornerstone, released more information on the two renovation projects planned for the Weyburn Junior High School this year.

The roofing project will cost $257,000 with the school division being responsible for 30 per cent, and the structural repairs to windows and walls will cost $187,000, with the division being responsible for 50 per cent.