Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk will soon announce what he plans to do about the troubled Northland School Division.

In January, an expert panel chaired by retired Peace River school administrator Dave van Tamelen made 48 recommendations for improving student achievement in the northern Alberta school district, which serves mostly First Nations and Metis students.

The three-member panel was convened after the entire 23-member board was fired by former education minister Dave Hancock in January 2010.

A community task force is reviewing the recommendations and will hand its wish list to Lukaszuk by the end of the month.

Lukaszuk said he will make some decisions before the end of the year. "I can assure you that no effort will be spared in making sure that children in that geographic area of the province receive education that we all expect for our children no matter where they live," he said.

The recommendations contained in the report focus on student achievement, administration, governance and funding, with an emphasis on the need for Northlands to adopt new leadership and administrative systems.

The report also recommends the province provide "catch-up" money so Northland can upgrade its aging facilities and libraries, which are scattered over 23 remote communities in the northern part of the province.

The report urges Alberta Education to include mandatory reviews every three years as part of the implementation process.

If there is no progress at the nine-year mark, "then the need for further interventions, including possible radical boundary change, should be reconsidered."

The team recommends Northland be governed by a smaller board, whose nine members can serve no longer than two consecutive three-year terms. The minister of education would appoint a non-voting board member to serve as an observer and facilitator

The report also recommends that the hiring and firing of staff lie with school board management who will take community input into consideration.

The report also emphasizes a need for the board to focus on developing proficiency in English and mathematical reasoning, better student attendance and improved parental engagement with the school system.

Northland also must strengthen the aboriginal content in the curriculum, the report said.