ATHABASCA – Enrolment numbers have been a consistent topic of discussion for Aspen View Public Schools (AVPS) trustees in the 2023-2024 school year — the decision to close Rochester School was followed by a change in provincial funding policy, and now, projected enrolment numbers show a small decrease across AVPS’s 16 schools.
“We’ve been accustomed to being somewhat of a declining enrolment school division, but this will be pretty significant,” said board chair Candy Nikipelo. “The next handful of years, we need to be prepared for what’s coming up.”
Vilna School was one point of concern for superintendent Constantine Kastrinos — Saddle Lake First Nation is in the process of phasing out bussing and will stop the service for Grade 4-6 students in 2024-2025, leading to a decrease at the already small school.
If enrolment follows the projections, the school division will be 29 students smaller — AVPS had 2,625 students this year and is expecting 2,596 next year — with the largest decrease happening at Edwin Parr Composite High School (EPC), where the school will have 705 students compared to the 749 it had in 2023-2024. Whispering Hills will decrease by 10 students, although Landing Trails will increase by 14, and the Centre for Alternative Education (CAVE) will also increase by 10.
“High school in EPC is holding its own for the next three years, but when we look at our Grade 7 students, it’s almost half of the outgoing numbers,” said Nikipelo.
EPC is projected to have 141 Grade 12 students and 139 Grade 11 students in the upcoming year, but Landing Trail Intermediate School (LTIS) only has 103 Grades 6 and 76 Grade 5 students, meaning class sizes will fall.
“Based on what we have for existing enrolment, this is a trend that’s going to continue; it’s not a one-year blip,” said Kastrinos.
Possible solutions
Trustees discussed what administration, at the division and school levels, could do to help alleviate the falling numbers. Nikipelo said that with education becoming increasingly “business-like” when it comes to student attraction and advertising, it is important for the division to understand its role in the process.
“There’s this misconception, not just for our division but rurally, that I’m the only game in town so I don’t need an open house, and I don’t need a program night because they’re going to come here,” said Kastrinos. “We can’t think that way anymore.”
Some options available for schools are program nights, which many Athabasca parents experience at WHPS, but aren’t a constant across all 16 schools. Parents get to not only see the school, but also get a first-hand account of what programs their kids can benefit from.
“Every one of our buildings has something great happening within it, but it’s about showcasing that. All parents want to see it, and all parents want to know that their children are going to get a great education,” said Kastrinos.
Another push from the division will be a pre-enrolment process, which Kastrinos said typically occurs between Feb. 1 and May 30. He told trustees it was important to get students signed up earlier, even if they’re going to their designated school for the twelfth year in a row, because it allows the division more time to plan and accommodate.
“If we can get going on that happening, we know what we need to give parents earlier. They know what their (bus) routes are, they know what the processes are, they have a transition to Grade 7 or (kindergarten),” said Kastrinos.
Trustees also discussed ways to incentivize out-of-area students who are currently enrolled in a non-Aspen View school. Using Grassland School as an example, Nikipelo said the division should be looking at ways to make its schools more appealing.
“As a division we’re in a big competition now for students, so let’s provide some good incentives for them to want to come,” she said. “Grassland needs to maybe think about a northern school that’s maybe struggling in another school division. I’ve heard that if transportation was provided up close to them, we could access some of their students.”
