The chair of the Winnipeg School Division’s board of trustees is calling for an emergency meeting with Premier Brian Pallister to discuss concerns over education funding.

In an open letter to the premier, signed on behalf of the board and students, Chris Broughton wrote that he wants to discuss how the province expects school divisions to complete lead testing in drinking water; install isolation backflow prevention devices; and meet the goals set out by The Accessibility for Manitobans Act if they can’t increase their revenues. The letter also states that he wants to ask the premier “Why the province has offloaded $126 million of WSD’s total assessed value from properties in Winnipeg who have received SHED and TIF tax holidays.”

This letter came out on Wednesday, one day after Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced that school divisions that don’t follow a provincial directive to cap property tax increases at two per cent will have to cut administration costs. The Winnipeg School Division said last month it’s looking at a 2.9 per cent tax increase for 2019.

“The province has the regulatory authority to limit administrative costs for school divisions,” Goertzen said.

“Those who are increasing their taxes more than two per cent…would have a higher ask when it comes to the administration costs. They would have to look for more savings.”

The province also recently informed the school board it needs to cap its administration costs at 2.7 per cent of its total budget, and that if the tax hike is put in place the cap will be lowered to 2.4 per cent.

“Minister Goertzen came out with this mandate, fully aware that school boards have already completed their community consultations on draft budgets, essentially making feedback on proposed additions moots,” Broughton said in the open letter.

“The punitive nature of this cap and additional measures preventing school divisions from seeking revenue from its own constituents is divisive and causing turmoil in our education system

“Mr. Premier – please step up and speak up for the youth in this province – the future of this province. Minister Goertzen thinks he is playing hard ball – but education is not a game.”

- With files from Steve Lambert at The Canadian Press.