Increased Clarity for School Review Process

Legislation introduced today, April 27, will improve the school review process by increasing the opportunity for community engagement and clarifying the circumstances under which a school must be reviewed.

Amendments to the Education Act will, if passed, ensure that any school under consideration for closure is reviewed. The only exception will be when one school will be replaced by another public school with little or no change to the student population.

"The decision to put a school under review is always difficult," said Education Minister Marilyn More. "These amendments will ensure communities have the opportunity to be fully involved in the school review process any time a public school is considered for permanent closure."

The new amendments expand on legislation passed in 2008 that broadened opportunities for community engagement, expanded the time frame to one year, and required school boards to prepare an identification report to support the review.

"Government is very supportive of promoting schools as community assets," said Ms. More. "This legislation will allow us to develop regulations that will provide more input at crucial stages of the process to ensure informed and better decisions."

The proposed changes to the act reflect feedback from school board and school advisory council representatives involved in school reviews since 2008.