The Southeast Cornerstone board of education discussed preparations for renovations at the Weyburn Comprehensive School, during their monthly meeting on Thursday.

Director of Education Don Rempel reported on a recent meeting with the facilities branch of Saskatchewan Learning to discuss the provincial funding of needed renovations and improvements to the school.

Rempel met with Graham Mickleborough, CEO of Southeast Regional College, to explore a partnership between the two education facilities toward improved program delivery for both facilities as the Southeast Regional College is adjoined to the Comprehensive School.

Anticipated capital expenditures to address previously identified health and safety concerns are in excess of $6 million and the total project cost could be considerably higher depending on the construction/renovation costs of the outcomes of the planning process.

The board received a Review of Programming and Supports for Students with Emotional and Behavioural Disorders from educational consultant Wanda Lyons. This report was presented to assist school division personnel to develop a systematic process for identifying needs of students with emotional and behaviour disorders and difficulties, and will develop a continuum of interventions to support all students across the school division.

Three major components of the review project were a review of current practices for assessment including programming and supports for students with behaviour disorders, a literature review to identify evidence-based effective practices for prevention and intervention for behaviour disorders and a summary of findings and recommendations.

The review was extensive and involved all 41 school principals, school specific visits, focus groups, classroom observations and a records and file review. The board has requested that the review be formatted for publication on the school division website. The Director of Education and staff will work to establish school division processes in response to the recommendations.

Several board action items were reported relating the board's goal of developing understanding and support for education.

Chair Audrey Trombley, vice-chair Carol Flynn, the Director of Education and Superintendent of Finance and Administration have been asked to present on the challenges facing Kindergarten to Grade 12 education in rural Saskatchewan at the upcoming Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) convention in March.

As well, the board and director will be presenting at the 12th National Congress on Rural Education to be held in Saskatoon in March; the same congress will see a presentation on planning for instructional technology by division staff.

Two presentations, one on educational finance and one on effective board governance, are to be guided by division office staff as well as the board chair and vice-chair at the spring seminar of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association.

Recently the Cornerstone board chair has joined with colleagues from the Chinook and Prairie South school divisions to request a meeting with the Minister of Learning to review educational funding and the challenges shared by rural school divisions across southern Saskatchewan.