Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In Yellowknife, one of the major issues around local education is taxation, and Yellowknife is unique in the NWT communities in that no other community gets funds directly from its tax base for education. School boards in our city jointly have 3,600 full-time students and they administer operating budgets of approximately $33.6 million. About $7.5 million is raised through local taxes.

From the numbers, Mr. Speaker, it is apparent that the school boards and educational authorities are significant contributors to community development and our progress for the future. I would like to also, Mr. Speaker, acknowledge the progress of Commission Scolaire Francophone de Division which is the equivalent of a divisional educational council and operates at École Alain St. Cyr. The commission is evolving into the Francophone school board of the Northwest Territories and I wish them well with their new status at their first meeting this evening, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.