Saskatchewan NDP Condemns New Shellbrook School as Budget Priorities Questioned
In the wake of the 2026-27 provincial budget announcement, the Saskatchewan NDP has launched a scathing critique of the government's decision to fund a new pre-kindergarten to Grade 12 school in Shellbrook. Opposition leaders are alleging political favoritism, as Shellbrook is both the hometown and constituency of Premier Scott Moe.
Hundreds of Schools in Greater Need, Says Opposition
NDP education critic Matt Love revealed that government data analysis shows 13 schools across Saskatchewan are in critical condition, with an additional 132 deemed to be in poor condition. According to Love, more than 200 schools across the province are in worse shape than the existing facilities in Shellbrook.
"The premier gets a shiny new school in Shellbrook while students learning in more than 200 others get leaky or entirely collapsed roofs, a lack of space for student desks and lockers, and entire wings that can no longer accommodate student learning," Love stated during a press conference outside Saskatoon's Ecole Canadienne Française-Pavillion Monique Rosseum, where a library ceiling collapsed in January.
Community Disparities Highlighted
NDP Leader Carla Beck emphasized the geographical inequity, noting that 103 communities in Saskatchewan have schools in worse condition than those in Shellbrook. "Tell me again this isn't about the premier playing favourites with his friends and neighbours," Beck challenged, calling for transparency in the decision-making process.
Beck demanded that Premier Moe publicly release all government documents related to school capital decisions in the budget, stating: "If there really is nothing to hide, I call on Scott Moe to publicly release all government documents behind the school capital decisions in this bad news budget."
Government Defends Decision as Long-Standing Priority
Minister of Education Everett Hindley defended the allocation, insisting there was no unfairness in the decision. He explained that a new school in Shellbrook has been a priority for the local school division for several years, citing the age of the existing elementary and high schools as justification for replacement.
"There's 27 school divisions each and every year that identify what would be their top three major capital projects within the schools, within their school division and boundaries," Hindley noted, adding that it could be several years before construction actually begins on the Shellbrook facility.
The budget, tabled by Finance Minister Jim Reiter, includes plans to replace and consolidate Shellbrook's current elementary and high schools into a single facility located approximately 45 kilometres west of Prince Albert.
Broader Budget Concerns
The controversy over the Shellbrook school funding comes amidst broader concerns about the 2026-27 provincial budget, which forecasts an $819.4 million deficit. The NDP maintains that the government's spending priorities fail to address the most urgent infrastructure needs across Saskatchewan's education system.
As the debate continues, the allocation highlights ongoing tensions between the governing Saskatchewan Party and opposition NDP over education funding and infrastructure priorities in the province.
