A video's been released by the Manitoba School Boards Association entitled Local Voices, Local Choices. It's part of an awareness program created to ensure current school divisions continue to exist, seeing as the province is making an education review which includes the possibility of amalgamating school divisions.

Pine Creek School Division Board Chair Diedrich Toews explains his division's concerns.

"We're a unique school division since we are fairly large geographically, but we have close to 1,100 students," says Toews. "We have two high schools; one in Gladstone, and one in MacGregor. We feel we are unique in the sense that we try to produce graduates that are literate, well-versed in what's happening in the world, and are ready to go out. Our export is actually the graduates from the area. And we like to think that we are doing a good job."

He notes the size of their divisions stretching from Plumas and Langruth toward the south of Austin would make an amalgamation a "tough go." Toews says this would make it hard for local voices to be heard, seeing as they could be an hour apart.

"Given our geographical size, we range in area from Plumas and Langruth all the way to south of Austin -- we have a large area -- and if we amalgamate with another division (and that's all tentative of course), we feel that, administratively, it would be a tough go," says Toews. "Secondly, it would be tough to get the local voices heard when maybe we are an hour apart."

"We need to be able to understand what's happening in the local area, and, as a result, make choices," Toews continues. "For instance, we have Skype classes in Gladstone and MacGregor where the teacher can teach from one school and have the other students sign up up by Skype, and go back and forth and teach classes that we might not have enough students for in one high school. But at least the students have their availability. We also do what's called a teacher mediated option where we present a lot of courses for the whole province. We're trying to give the kids a really good basis for their education. In MacGregor, kids also have a choice of at least 50 online courses they can take as part of their regular curriculum. We're moving so that the students will get the best quality education available. I realize we may not be able to compete with all divisions. But we are trying our level best to ensure our students are well-educated."

Toews notes they're also sending a letter to minister of education Kelvin Goertzen to express their concerns.

"I think that the government will probably take a well-balanced look at it, but I think they need to take a look at the views of the people they're wanting to affect," adds Toews. "Each of the schools have a unique character and culture, and they're purposely diverse as a result of the decisions made by the board on their behalf. And I think the citizens cherish these differences, and they are aware that the differences are made possible by the democracy in action on our school board level."