Keeping our community focus

Pembina Trails is committed to putting the needs of our students first.

When considering ideas related to the Provincial Education Review, it is especially important to reinforce this commitment and continue making our students the top priority.

The Manitoba Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education Review is asking Manitobans to share their thoughts about the future of our education system. The goal of the commission is to “improve outcomes for students, ensuring long-term sustainability and enhancing public confidence in our education system.”

At Pembina Trails, we are proud of our students’ success. We establish student achievement goals and metrics and regularly share results with our communities. Our students consistently perform above the provincial average in literacy and numeracy, and we have one of the highest six-year graduation rate of all metro school divisions at 88.6 per cent.

Our Board is also committed to ensure the division is fiscally responsible, including when it comes to administration costs, funding/taxation and finding opportunities for partnership, collaboration and shared resources.  In March, Pembina Trails Trustees approved a 2019/20 budget that reduces school taxes while supporting the next generation.

But our students are much more than just numbers on a page, and quality education is about more than just the numbers.

We are community-focused. We consistently respond to local needs and concerns. We have strong connections with those living and working in Pembina Trails. We recently created a Newcomer Community Hub to provide parents of young and school aged children with a direct connection to immigrant resources, as well as emotional support.

As the landscape of education changes in Manitoba, we want to emphasize the importance of local accountability and decision-making. A one-size-fits-all approach to education is not ideal, and moving governance away from the local level may limit our ability to be responsive to our community’s needs.

How to get involved:

We encourage you to take the time to share your thoughts about Manitoba education with the commission. You can visit their website for up-to-date information.