Northern Lights Invests in Top Priorities

Reserves directed to Three-Year Education Plan priorities

Northern Lights Public Schools is investing $2.4 million in the priority areas identified in the division’s Three-Year Education Plan.
“We listened to all of our stakeholders when we developed our Three-Year Education Plan and our priorities reflect the input we received,” said Board Chair Mandi Skogen. “When the Board committed to those priorities, we recognized that our support had to go beyond simply setting a focus for the division; we needed to make a financial investment that would ensure the resources were in place to support those priorities and ensure consistency in schools throughout the division.”

The three priorities identified in the division’s Three-Year Education Plan were: Literacy and Numeracy; Communication, Engagement and Partnerships; and Health and Wellness. Funds have been allocated to specific initiatives in each of the priority areas at both the division level and at individual schools.
At the division level, funds are being invested to ensure access to opportunities and services are consistent throughout the division. This includes investments in the following:

• improved learning opportunities for students through increased digital connectivity;
• the development and enhancement of Learning Commons spaces at all schools;
• the installation of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at all schools that do not currently have one;
• addressing inventory needs for providing music and fine arts programming; and,
• the installation of FM systems in all Kindergarten to Grade 6 classrooms that currently do not have them.

Additional investments will be made at the division level in the following areas: mental health and wellness initiatives; seed money for schools to develop alternate or non-traditional programs; cameras for buses; common assessments; and FNMI literacy.