Saskatchewan Rivers School Division is getting more funding from the National School Food Program to expand its offerings for the 2025-26 school year.
Education Director Neil Finch updated trustees on the funding as part of a report at Monday’s school board meeting.
The division has received $301,914 from the Federal Government to expand current programming. Finch said the funds will be spread amongst all Sask. Rivers schools.
“Some of that those funds will be out to the side for schools to apply for kitchen, bigger kitchen items like a fridge or stoves, things like that,” Finch said.
The division also received $111,381 through the Child Nutrition Program for this year.
Finch also highlighted the funds awarded to eligible organizations across Saskatchewan to expand school food infrastructure as part of a project led by the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA).
Saskatchewan Rivers will receive $20,000 for their project. Christopher Lake School will increase the school’s capacity to grow, prepare, and serve meals and foster hands-on learning, community connection, and long-term food security in partnership with the Saskatchewan Lions Foundation.
During his report, Finch also highlighted the Feeding Our Futures Program. The program serves student in both the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division and Prince Albert Catholic School Division. It provides emergency lunches to all children in need, from Kindergarten through Grade 8.
According to the report, it has provided over one million lunches to children in Prince Albert.
The program partners include Lakeland Ford, Lakeland Hyundai, Broda Group, Lake Country Co-op, Conexus Credit Union and B&B Construction.
Together, these businesses have fulfilled an urgent need for the children of Prince Albert – providing nutrition and better allow children to learn.
Finch said that there were many nice parts to school food programming in the division occurring this year.
“Absolutely. It’s been enhanced quite a bit, for sure,” Finch said.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
