The Prairie Valley School Division decided at their January board meeting to develop a comprehensive long-term capital plan, and also to seek feedback from their school community councils on the use of school facilities by the community.

The long-term capital plan includes consideration of division office space, and the board will hire an external consultant to develop the plan.

The plan, for which work will begin this year, will take into account the future demographics of the school division, the current state of facilities and establishing the best learning environments for students.

Until the plan is in place, the board's central office will move some staff into vacant space at McLean School to alleviate the shortage of space.

This coming year will also see the Prairie Valley seek input from school community councils that includes results from a recent survey taken of these councils on the topic of community use of school facilities. The division is also working with principals to collect information on school fees to inform the development of a policy on fees.

The board held a forum with school community councils in October, and set the date of April 5, 2008 for the next meeting between trustees and the councils.

Trustees received an update on the home component of the division's literacy efforts in the form of the "Time To Read" program, held in partnership with the Southeast Regional Library. This program is designed to encourage students and their parents to read more often and to develop lifelong literacy and learning skills. The partnership also strengthens the connection between the school and the public libraries, and building the capacity of both to encourage and support literacy.

Students and teachers from Prairie Valley will join their counterparts from Regina to participate in an e-journalism project at the 2008 Canadian Network for Innovation in Education international conference in Banff. The e-journalism projects showcase the students talents and provide them with a learning opportunity.

The Prairie Valley board received highlights of the first quarter of the fiscal year, based on three months of information from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, 2007. While it's early in the fiscal year, initial projections show that revenues are lower than budgeted, and expenses will be higher. There is still a projected surplus for the bottom line, although it is a smaller surplus than was originally forecast.

Variables that could still affect the budget include the 2008 provincial budget with operating and capital grants for school divisions, property tax decisions and the cost to establish a bus facility on the east side of the Prairie Valley School Division.

The board considered its budget priorities at its January board meeting, and investment in the division's facilities was once again identified as an important consideration.

Three students from Sedley School, which includes children from the Francis area, received awards from the YouthBiz E-show project, run by Sunrise Community Futures of Weyburn. Evan Bourassa won the $500 prize for first place for students in Grades 6-9, while Grade 9 students Amanda Lockert and Rebecca Unser received a $50 achievement award for outstanding effort. Submissions from students in the Community Futures service area were judged on their business plan, marketing materials and use of the Web.