A resolution calling on the Regina Board of Education to “strongly request that the Saskatchewan auditor general review the P3 school proposal to determine its financial viability” was passed by Regina public school electors at their annual meeting last night.

“Excessive debt now reduces the funding available for education in the future,” said ratepayer Jim Holmes, citing a recent audit of 74 Ontario P3 projects.

“The Ontario auditor general found no empirical evidence of any of the ‘value for money audits’ for the claimed savings and efficiencies of P3 projects,” said Holmes, who put forward the motion.

In a report released in December, Ontario auditor general Bonnie Lysyk—formerly Saskatchewan’s auditor general—revealed P3 public infrastructure was consistently more expensive due to higher borrowing costs, and that projected savings were based on inflated construction estimates.

The majority of some 80 people who voted, heavily weighted toward school administrators, agreed with the call and passed the motion.

Electors also passed a motion calling for the Treaty 4 flag to fly outside schools. The board had earlier agreed to fly a flag outside their office, but progress on putting flags outside schools has been slow, according to school parent Rene Dumont.

A motion calling on the board to curtail their increasing use of closed session was defeated, along with a motion calling for a public meeting and trustee vote on military training in the schools.

Also at the meeting, education director Julie McRae stated she would be leaving her position. It is widely expected she will be named provincial deputy minister of education.

2015 motions