School District 57 is hosting a rural education forum this weekend, bringing together northern school boards with government to talk about the unique needs of their communities.
"It's about how do we offer quality, equitable education in northern school districts," said board vice-chair Tim Bennett.
Bennett said he expects some 60 staff, trustees and government representatives to take part on Friday and Saturday.
New education minister Mike Bernier has also confirmed he'll come, and many of the northern MLAs have as well.
Every year regional trustees get together to discuss issues specific to the north, but Bennett said a forum gave a better opportunity to do more than simply talk.
"We needed to find a way to take action," he said.
"This time we felt we need to do more. We heard it during the election: that all trustees do is write letters. This is a chance to proactively work with government and with the ministers as co-governors to hopefully advocate for the needs of our rural districts."
One of the biggest concerns, Bennett said, deals with capital spending on infrastructure.
"Our buildings are getting older, but it seems like more and more capital dollars are being spent down in, of course, the growing districts in the Lower Mainland, meaning that we're not able to necessarily do the repairs and the maintenance that we need in our northern schools."
That was evident in School District 57's Long Range Facility report, published in May, that rated the condition of schools, finding 33 were fair, two were average and three were excellent.
Spruceland, Kelly Road and Blackburn were rated as poor and should be considered for demolition, the report said.
Bennett said the region faces more expenses tied to the north, especially when it comes to heating the schools for longer periods of time and the cost of snow removal.
It helps having the regional districts meet, said Bennett because many are facing the same challenges: declining or leveling student enrolment.
Bennett said the hope is having all parties at the table can help foster a "constructive, positive co-governance" approach.
When Bernier spoke to northern media in September, he said the district has some "tough decisions" to make.
Bernier said local trustees are given the choice how to spend the money provided by government, but District 57 trustees have argued for different funding models specific to rural schools.
"The funding model - per pupil funding - it means districts have less and less but what districts are responsible for covering is growing," Bennett said.
Chairperson Tony Cable objects to the "money is the money" response from government, and said despite getting those answers in the past, he's hopeful that can change.
"I'm ever an optimist so I have to go into something like this hoping," Cable said. "Maybe if all the northern boards are all speaking with the same voice maybe the message will resonate."
