A Tompkins, Sask., man has offered to pay $75,000 from his own pocket to keep a school program going — but the school division has turned down his offer.

Tompkins School is one of the facilities in Chinook School division in the southwest part of the province that's losing its senior grade program. In Tompkins' case, it's Grades 6 through 9.

Last month, Warren McNary, a local rancher and businessman offered to pay the school board the equivalent of a teacher's salary — $75,000 — to keep the program operating. He said he was hoping others would pitch in, but he has enough cash flow to "go it alone" if necessary.

According to McNary, when Tompkins loses the program, his children will be split up and the oldest two will have to travel 1½ hours for class.

"We want our kids to be together, ride the bus together, look out for each other, play together, grow up together," he said.

The board considered McNary's offer, but turned him down. Board chair Gary Shaddock says it was an intriguing offer, but it was deemed inappropriate, with the board worried that it would lead to a two-tier education system and open up the board to accusations of bias.

McNary doesn't agree with that argument.

"We feel that they're biased against the small communities already," he said.

If Tompkins' program ends, McNary said, he'll send all four of his children to another school so they can stay together.

Meanwhile, for some schools in the division, the future is bleaker still — five are scheduled to close over the next two years.