Prairie Rose School Division trustees received updates on student achievement, student well-being and division finances during their June 1 board meeting as the school year drew to a close.
During the meeting, Superintendent and CEO Kevin Clace shared his activity report and communications received since the previous board meeting, including 2025 high school graduation-rate data, the Career Development Initiative Grant Allocation for 2026-27 and correspondence from the Terry Fox Foundation.
Students across the division are meeting provincial graduation-rate standards, a statistic Clace said he was proud to report.
Another success highlighted during the meeting was the division’s ongoing support of the Terry Fox Foundation. Elm Creek School, Carman Collegiate and St. Francois Xavier Community School were among the top fundraising schools in their respective categories. Prairie Rose School Division has supported the foundation for 45 years, raising more than $200,000.
Assistant superintendent Chris Gamble provided an update on the division’s 2025-26 Continuous Improvement Plan and reviewed suspension data for the current school year.
Gamble reported increases in literacy and mathematics achievement and said the division is on track to meet its goal of having 80 per cent of students achieve a “very good to excellent” rating.
“Not only are [students] growing, but they are accelerating their growth,” he said. “We are already well ahead of the (provincial) targets in the works.”
He also shared updated statistics on staff participation in Treaty Training. At the time of the meeting, 78 per cent of regular staff had completed the training, including 85 per cent of teachers and 71 per cent of support staff.
As part of the division’s truth and reconciliation efforts, Gamble noted a graduation powwow hosted at Institut Collégial St. Paul’s Collegiate that honoured 19 Indigenous graduates and was attended by 106 graduates overall.
Michelle Levesque, director of student services, presented the well-being and belonging report, emphasizing the importance of safety and wellness for staff and students. She said survey results showed high levels of well-being and belonging, while the division continues to look for ways to improve outcomes for all students.
Division-wide suspension rates dropped by 50 per cent during the school year. The number of students suspended also decreased by 34 per cent, resulting in just 1.69 per cent of students experiencing a suspension this year.
Trustees also received a report on approved off-site activities and trips. Among them was a Grades 11 and 12 camping trip from St. Laurent School to Opapiskaw Campground in Whiteshell Provincial Park from June 3 to 5. The trip included 11 students and three staff supervisors.
The board reviewed April accounts showing total general expenditures of $2,281,924.
Among the motions approved was the closure of the division office for seven consecutive Fridays from July 3 to Aug. 14 under banked-time arrangements. Trustees also approved opening a flow-through bank account with Access Credit Union to support implementation of the division’s new school cash-management system, KEV School Cash Online.
The board further established a selection committee for the vice-principal position at Carman Collegiate.
In other division news, St. Francois Xavier Community School temporarily closed from June 10 to 12 following a mechanical failure involving the school’s sump pump. The school reopened June 15 after repairs were completed and safety checks confirmed the building was ready for students and staff to return.
