Trustees at Aspen View Public School Division has approved a pilot program that will send grade 11 and 12 students during the 2018-19 school year to Boyle at their board meeting June 21.
At the meeting, superintendent Mark Francis said it will allow the students from Grassland access to Career and Technology Studies (CTS) courses, as well as a range of core subjects, that they may not conveniently receive at their current school.
"Students have been accessing CTS courses for several years at Boyle School," Francis said. "But earlier this year, the division office was approached by Grassland School, asking if we could also bus them to Boyle for some Math and Science. They said they have a small population of grade 11 and 12s, and are having troubles fitting their courses into a timetable."
He added they did have some students in those grades leave this year, and have some students for next year already indicated they intend to go to schools in Boyle or Athabasca to get the classes they were unable to get in Grassland.
"So we had a discussion with Grassland School staff, as well as the Boyle School principal," Francis continued. "While a half day at Boyle was considered, the students affected decided that busing for 42 minutes both directions per day would be too much, so they just requested that they just go for the whole day."
Under the proposal, Francis said the 14 students would be either picked-up by bus from either their homes or their communal pick-ups, and would then be taken to Boyle and back every day.
"The grade 10 students would remain at Grassland School," he said. "This is only for the grade 11 and 12 students, unless there is a student with special needs in which a service can not be provided at Grassland School."
He added that there would also be a provision for any Grassland student who does not wish to go to Boyle, and would rather stay at his home school.
"This student would be administered a program at Grassland very similar to what is currently done at Smith," Francis said. "Said student would work more independently, most likely through Alberta Distance Education through a supervised setting."
He said this arrangement would be evaluated throughout the school year, in order to see the level of satisfaction.
"The intention is not to slowly shut down Grassland School here," Francis continued. "But there is also the possibility that the community of Grassland decides that this does work, and that being bussed to Boyle is not a bad thing for the children after all. We will just have to see following the upcoming school year."
Candi Nikipelo, whose ward covers both schools, made the motion to approve the pilot program after discussions were ended. The motion was passed unanimously.
