The Saskatchewan Rivers School Division has approved three major capital infrastructure projects to be completed over the next three years.
On Monday, the board approved the major and minor capital recommendations to be sent to the Ministry of Education. The facilities committee discussed the projects at a meeting in November.
The projects were approved for the 2027-2028 major and minor capital renewal program. The division’s priorities remain the same as in the 2025-2026 cycle.
The Major and Minor Capital report was presented by superintendent of facilities Derek Blais.
The top major capital priority is the construction of a new K to 12 school to replace W.P. Sandin High School and Shellbrook Elementary School. This project has been moved into the Top 10 priorities for the province.
“We definitely find that encouraging, that we are now on the top 10 list in the province for our top priority,” Education Director Neil Finch said. “We don’t know what that means timing wise, but definitely there’s a consideration for our top priority to be something that we’ll see in the future.”
Second on the list is renovation and renewal for Carlton Comprehensive High School and third is construction of a new school to replace Ecole Arthur Pechey School. Carlton remains a second priority because of the age of the building.
The Shellbrook consolidation project was the top priority in 2025 for the 2026 budget and remains in place for when the province passes their 2027 budget.
Finch said the reasons they had for supporting a new K-12 school remain in place.
The board has been focused on consolidation as a top priority for several years. During Budget 2025, the Shellbrook consolidation project entered the Top 10 for the province on Budget Day.
WP Sandin is 66 years old and is in need of replacement, according to the report. The Facilities Committee, which includes Blais, several board members, and CFO Jerrold Pidborochynski, helps to lead decision making.
The Committee uses the Facilities Master Plan as a guideline.
The Ministry of Education Infrastructure Branch invites all school divisions to submit their top three major capital and top two minor capital funding requests by Feb. 16, 2026.
The Ministry changed the way capital submissions are dealt with. They broke the capital submissions into two categories with some being higher priority handled through capital allocation such as school replacement.
Other necessary items did not rank high enough and the Ministry made the decision to split them off.
The top minor capital priority is the renovations and renewal of Christopher Lake Public School and in second place is renovation and renewal of Red Wing School.
Christopher Lake School is currently holding strong for population and is at 120 per cent student capacity.
Finch said it is good be remain consistent in funding requests.
“We haven’t been approved for either,” Finch said. “We’ve got our top major and top minor capital projects that have not been approved, so our priorities haven’t changed. We’re still hoping to get something approved within those lists.”
All submissions are reviewed, prioritized and placed on both the Major and Minor lists. Decisions on awarding funding will be announced on Budget Day 2026.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
