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Some students may be happy about an election promise to start the school year later, but the voice of the province's school boards is disappointed.

Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall announced he would move the start of the school year to after Labour Day province wide if re-elected to government on November 7th to address a downturn in tourism-related business by students around the holiday.
 
Sandi Urban-Hall, President of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association, says they're disappointed and surprised by the announcement, saying the announcement was made without any consultation with school boards who are closest to home and best understand the impact that changes to the school year would have on students and learning.
 
Urban-Hall says the province has said improved student achievement is their priority, and that should be the basis of all education decisions, not tourism. She added if the province is serious in making these changes, the SSBA strongly urges that the legislation be amended to address boards' and parents' concerns about academic learning and instructional time.
 
Meanwhile, Randy Beler, the Chairman of the Chinook School Board, says they have so many days throughout the year in legislation to get the students' instructional time in, and locally, they decide when the start dates and breaks will be. He adds they will have to discuss the issue as a board before making any decision on it, but says in the past few years, there haven't been any discussions to make any changes to the school year locally.
 
Colin Powers talked with SSBA President Sandi Urban-Hall about the promise to move back the start of the school year. 
 
 
Colin also got reaction from Chinook School Board Chairman Randy Beler.