Released on September 21, 2017
Following the work of the Advisory Panel on Educational Governance Renewal, school divisions have been working with the Ministry of Education to find savings to ensure available resources can be directed to the classroom. As a result, all 28 school divisions have agreed to enter into a bulk fuel purchase agreement with Federated Co-operatives Ltd. (FCL), beginning in the 2017-18 school year.
Each year, school divisions use more than 14 million litres of fuel for student transportation. It is estimated that the cost savings from this agreement will be approximately $1 million per year.
“We asked school divisions to work together to find cost saving alternatives that would free up resources for classrooms and front line supports,” Education Minister Bronwyn Eyre said. “These savings will help ensure resources continue to be focused on where they belong, in the classroom.”
FCL is owned by Co-ops across the Western provinces and partners with all of Saskatchewan’s local Co-ops. This latest efficiency follows the announcement that Prairie Spirit School Division and Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools have partnered to offer bussing for the new joint-use schools in Martensville and Warman.
Saskatoon Public Schools and Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools have agreed to utilize shared busing where economically viable. Regina Public Schools and Regina Catholic Schools will also be working together on possible joint transportation of students in the City of Regina.
“We are really excited to see how the school divisions have come together to find savings,” Liam Choo-Foo, Chief Project Officer for Education Governance Renewal said. “This agreement is a result of their collaboration and commitment to finding these efficiencies.”
Earlier this year, the Advisory Panel on Education Governance Renewal highlighted the importance of finding efficiencies among school divisions in the areas of transportation and bulk purchasing such as fuel.
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For more information, contact:
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Chris Hodges |