The provincial government says it's interested in the Chinook's Edge School Division's call to provide special funding for Horizon School by combining funding and talents from several ministries into one.
That call was made June 14 as Wildrose Party Leader Brian Jean and the party's education critic, Leela Aheer, toured the school in Olds for students with special needs.
Chinook's Edge School Division superintendent Kurt Sacher broached the idea after the approximately two-hour tour ended.
It was pointed out to Jean and Aheer that space and funding are so limited that some teachers and school officials are literally working out of former closets. The former lunchroom and greenhouse have also been turned into classrooms.
ìThe dream here, to model the way for the province, is for a provincial centre to exist where you get multiple ministries doing the right thing, because they support each other,î Sacher said.
Education Minister David Eggen indicated interest in that idea in an email to the Albertan. ìAlberta Education will reach out to the school division in the coming days to discuss this idea further,î he wrote.
However, he indicated it's premature to expect such an entity in time for the upcoming school year.
Jean indicated he too thinks it's a great idea.
When asked how it could be funded during the current economy with oil in the $40 to $50 range, Jean said money simply has to be shifted, and spending has to be more efficient.
ìWe spend in Alberta, between $8- and $10 billion more per year in government than British Columbia does, based on an adjustment for the same population. So there's no question we can do it much more efficiently and there is a ton of waste,î Jean said.
ìI do think he's absolutely right; we need a tripartite work between Alberta Health, between Human Services and between Education,î Jean added.
ìBecause this is not just about an educational issue because of the nature of these students, and we need to make sure that we have the proper resources at hand so they can lead the life they want to live.î
"The dream here, to model the way for the province, is for a provincial centre to exist where you get multiple ministries doing the right thing, because they support each other."KURT SACHERSUPERINTENDENTCHINOOK'S EDGE SCHOOL DIVISION
