Saskatchewan school divisions get $21M for support programs this fall

School divisions across Saskatchewan have received $21 million in “extra” COVID-19 money for some new programming for the fall, according to the provincial Ministry of Education.

The province doled out the money last spring, Education Minister Dustin Duncan said Tuesday. It will go towards reading supports for students in grades 1 to 5, supportive learning opportunities for high school students to catch up academically and get extra credits, and for mental health supports.

“(This funding was determined) when we knew what was left over in terms of unspent COVID dollars. This is a combination of provincial COVID dollars as well as money we received from the federal government, as well as money the school divisions would have saved in the prior year,” Duncan said during a media conference.

He said some school divisions might hire more staff with the money they get as well, if they feel that’s where they need to support one of the key areas.

He says the extra supports are also needed because the last year and a half has been so disruptive for many students in elementary and high schools.

“Those students that maybe fell behind in terms of their reading levels, we can provide that support … For high school students that are looking at obtaining their diplomas, we know that there’s been disruption in terms of how the school year looked last year, how some students may not have excelled when it came to remote learning,” he added.

According to a government media release, reading data will be collected from students in grades 1 to 5. Staff members then will be able to create specialized reading plans if needed to help students.

As for high school students who may need to catch up, they’ll be able to earn credits through different educational avenues, including classes offered out of grade order, special project credits and online classes.

As far as mental health supports go, Duncan said it has been a trying year for both staff and students, and it has had an effect on many.

“We want to make sure we’re putting in our school divisions and our schools just a renewed focus on ensuring that we have mental health support for those that have struggled over the past year,” he said.

650 CKOM has requested information from the Ministry of Education on which school divisions received the most money, but has yet to get a response.