Wheatland tasks School Boards to reach agreement

Times Contributor 

 

Wheatland County councillors decided to release $800,000 of Municipal Reserve Fund money on Dec. 17, to the Golden Hills School Division (GHSD) Board, so they can begin the process of developing the East Wheatland School plan.  

Previously, council had suggested withholding money, until the Golden Hills School Division Board and the Catholic School Division Board came to an agreement on how funds collected for them, under the Municipal Government Act and placed in the Municipal Reserve Fund for their use, should be shared. 

Money in the fund comes from land or money that developers are required to set aside for park development or school use. Parks receive a 25 per cent allotment and the various school Boards share the remaining 75 per cent.

In a letter to council, Golden Hills School Division has requested $1.4 million be released to start work on the East Wheatland school site. Golden Hill’s representatives didn’t foresee any other funding requests would be needed from them for a five year period. They considered that the $1.4 million represents 75 per cent of funds allotted in the Municiapl School Reserve Fund (MSRF) and reasoned that approximately 80 per cent of students in Wheatland County attend Golden Hills School facilities, so it would be a good fit for its intended use.

“We discussed this previously and we need a policy,” said Reeve Glenn Koester at the Dec. 10 council meeting.

Chief Administrative Officer Alan Parkin confirmed that both boards had been previously contacted by Wheatland County staff and both were forwarded a draft policy for approval. No response to the draft had been received.

Councillor Alice Booth stated the MGA prohibits council from releasing funds without the agreement of both school boards on a funding policy. There was a question whether money could indeed be released, because the money was covering initial infrastructure development. There was also a question whether major funding or the development of new schools might be asked for by the Catholic Board in the near future, or if by allotting the funds in this manner , it would be an equitable decision.

“This isn’t about what it is used for,” said Councillor Brenda Knight, who clarified that the MGA doesn’t stipulate how school boards use the funding. “it is about the agreement. With a policy in place it makes things cut and dried.”

Parkin said gaining agreement may not be a quick process and could take six to eight months or more.

 “We have no issue with what they are asking for,” said Councillor Ben Armstrong, “but they (both boards) need to consider that something is in place. If we put a time limit for a decision in place, and if they don’t come to an agreement, then it will be left up to council’s decision.”

While Armstrong was strong about the need for agreement, he was the one that proposed releasing the $800,000. He said that the Boards were also elected officials, representing Wheatland residents, and Wheatland County has always had a good working relationship with both school boards.

“I have a strong feeling about this,” said Councillor Ben Armstrong. “We have always worked with the school boards to get their locations. We have a history of doing this. It is not special; it is what we done for all the others. We need to put this in place to support the communities out there. We need to step up to the plate and provide a way for them to move forward.”

Councillors identified issues that will need to be addressed as the development process goes along in the future; such as, the county’s responsibility for building a road into the school, whether there is support for the chosen school site by area residents and adjacent landowners and questions about future development that tends to spring up around school sites.

A meeting with Wheatland Council and the two boards has been set up and if a mutual agreement between the two boards cannot be reached within eight weeks, Council will set the funding split and consider whether they will award the remaining $600,000 requested by Golden Hills School Division.