WINNIPEG -- The Winnipeg School Division is flying in the face of a recommendation from the provincial government and going forward with a by-election in March.

Senior officials in the education department told the school division to postpone the vote for two school trustees until the release of the report of the Manitoba Commission on K-12 Education at the end of March.

The positions were left vacant after the most recent provincial election saw two former trustees elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.  

Theprovince said postponing theby-election for wards 3 and 4 on Mar. 21 would save money, something thecurrent board of trustees disagreed with.

"Some of our trustees were asking how it would save money by delaying it a few weeks," said Jennifer Chen, vice-chair of the WSD board of trustees.

In a board meeting on Feb. 3, trustees decided to continue with the vote since they couldn't determine how delaying could save money.

"In Monday's board meeting some of our trustees were asking, because the advertisements have gone out and if we delay, we will have to send an advertisement to notify the public about the delay and another advisement to notify about the new date," said Jennifer Chen, vice-chair of the WSD board of trustees.

Chen estimates postponing the vote would cost a lot more money andsaid there is an alternate reason for the government asking to postpone.

"We think there might be a hidden message that they didn't tell us in the email, which is the looming amalgamation in the education review report," she said.

A spokesperson for the government said it advises all divisions to consult with the department before filling senior management positions and that the Winnipeg School Division contacted the department for advice about proceeding with the by-election.

"Given there is no legislated requirement to hold the by-election at a fixed time, the department strongly suggested that the division delay the by-election, noting that the report of K-12 Commission on Education will be released at the end of March," said a government spokesperson in an email to CTV.

"That report may include recommendations on the governance structure of the school system, including the future of trustees. Holding a by-election with the imminent release of this report is an unwise expenditure of public money,"the email said.

Chen said the government isn't being straight forward.

"They didn't give a clear answer," she said.

Currently, there are six school divisions in Winnipeg, more than some larger Canadian cities, such as Calgary and Toronto.