Require Ready Land for New Schools

Summary#

• This bill sets new rules to get land ready faster for building new public schools in Saskatchewan.
• It makes cities, towns, and rural municipalities responsible for securing “serviced” land (with roads, water, sewer, power) for new schools, and gives the province tools to enforce timelines.
• It also changes planning laws so municipalities can collect more land or fees from developers to help pay for future school sites.

Key changes and impacts:

• Municipalities must plan for and acquire serviced land that meets size and other standards for new schools.
• The Education Minister can order a municipality to secure a school site by a set deadline and can sign cost-sharing agreements with the municipality and the school division.
• If a municipality does not comply after notice, the province can withhold provincial funds equal to the land’s fair market value.
• Costs and land ownership are set in a “contribution agreement” among the province, the municipality, and the school division.
• Municipal spending to buy and service school land will not count against municipal debt limits.
• Municipalities can use expropriation (forced sale with compensation) to assemble school sites.
• Planning law changes let municipalities, if authorized in their official community plan, collect fees for school land and require up to an extra 2% land dedication for school purposes in new subdivisions.

What it means for you#

• Parents and students

  • New schools in growing areas may be built sooner because land must be ready and serviced in advance.
  • School sites may be more common inside new neighborhoods, reducing long bus rides.

• Homebuyers and renters

  • In new developments, developers may face higher fees or be asked to dedicate more land for schools. Some of these costs could show up in lot and home prices.
  • Neighborhood plans may change to set aside larger or better-serviced school sites.

• Landowners near growing areas

  • Municipalities can expropriate land for school sites, with compensation at fair market value.
  • If your land is needed, the process may move faster because the bill removes some hurdles.

• Developers and builders

  • Municipalities can, if allowed in their official community plan, collect a fee to help buy school land and may require up to an extra 2% land dedication for schools (up to a total of 12% for residential and 7% for non-residential subdivisions).
  • Servicing agreements can include land acquisition costs, not just engineering and legal services.
  • Planning steps for concept plans are adjusted, but public notice is still required before council decisions.

• Municipalities (cities, towns, RMs)

  • You must plan for and secure serviced sites that meet size and other standards for new schools once the school division identifies a need.
  • The Minister can order you to acquire land by a deadline. If you don’t, the province can withhold transfers equal to the site’s fair market value (after notice and a chance to respond).
  • Money you spend on school sites will not count toward your debt limit, giving more room to borrow for this purpose.
  • You can use developer fees, extra reserve land dedications, and expropriation to assemble sites, if authorized in your official community plan.
  • If a site later is not needed, any provincial grant you received for that site must be repaid.

• School divisions

  • You decide by board resolution when a new school is needed.
  • You will join the province and the municipality in a contribution agreement that sets cost-sharing, timelines, servicing standards, and land ownership.
  • If a site is later deemed unnecessary, you may have to repay provincial grant funds.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents’ View#

• This will speed up school construction by making sure land is ready and serviced before building starts.
• Clear roles and timelines reduce delays between school planning and site acquisition.
• Letting municipalities collect fees or extra land from developers helps pay for school sites as growth occurs.
• Not counting these costs toward municipal debt limits makes it easier for fast-growing communities to keep up with demand.
• Public guidelines for school site standards improve transparency and consistency across the province.
• Enforcement tools (withholding funds) ensure action when delays would harm families in growing areas.

Opponents’ View#

• Costs may shift to municipalities, developers, and ultimately homebuyers, raising housing prices in new areas.
• Provincial orders and the power to withhold municipal funds could be seen as overreach and reduce local control.
• Expropriation, even with compensation, can be contentious for landowners and may lead to disputes.
• Key details (cost-sharing formulas, standards, and fair market value rules) are left to regulations, creating uncertainty.
• Requiring up to an extra 2% land dedication for schools could make some projects less viable, especially in tight markets.
• If planned school sites are later cancelled, forcing repayment of grants could strain local budgets.