There shouldn’t be any question as to how much the province is willing to spend on the Souris K-12.
The initial estimates have come in around $24 million, or 20 per cent higher than what was originally budgeted. Education Minster Alan MacIsaac and cabinet should approve the extra cash.
It’s true cost over runs often make the headlines. In this case spending more would be justified despite pressure on the provincial budget.
The province didn’t have another K-12 to model, so the budget required a degree of guesswork. And if a relatively small amount of money compared to the rest of the capital budget is needed for sufficient classroom space, it should be spent.
It makes more sense to build the school properly on the first try, rather than having to expand later on.
Jonathan Charlton