ATHABASCA — A motion made to close Rochester School April 21, failed unanimously after a roller coaster ride of emotions for supporters of the school watching the live stream of the meeting from home.
Rochester School will remain operational through the 2022-2023 school year after Aspen View Public Schools (AVPS) voted not to shutter the facility in a community that rallied hard to try and save it after a viability study recommended its closure earlier this year. Public consultations made for several emotional presentations, but in the end, it still came down to enrolment numbers and finances.
“Just to refresh everybody, as long as the enrolment for the school does not dip below 35 (students) our current funding stays and will not change,” said chair Candy Nikipelo.
Secretary-treasurer Aimee Hirtle went over six scenarios as requested by trustees at the April 14 special meeting which ranged from keeping the school open as is, which is double-graded; changing to triple grading to lower staffing costs; sending Grades 7 to 9 to Athabasca and remain double-graded; sending Grades 7 to 9 to Athabasca and triple-grading the remainder; closing the school and all students going to Athabasca; or closing the school and half of the students staying within the AVPS division.
"I think it was very astute on the board's part to ask us for a K to (Grade) 6 scenario and we presented two of those scenarios to you (today),” said Supt. Neil O’Shea. “We knew when we presented at our public meeting, that this would present a further deficit and not solving the issue, and we presented that information publicly."
One of the other arguments made by school supporters was that the numbers were affected by COVID-19.
“What's happening is we have more students leaving from Grade 9 than we do come in into our younger grades,” O’Shea said. “So, in 2019-2020, we had six Grade 9s leaving, but we only had two Kindergarten students coming. That's a deficit of four students. That isn't people necessarily choosing another school, that isn't necessarily people are choosing to home school.
“The sole factor that numbers have gone down in Rochester is related to the COVID would be what I would consider false. Yes, COVID plays a role but that would not be the only reason that we see a decline in numbers in the Rochester area.”
For historical reference, the school in Newbrook was closed in 2007, Radway and Thorhild Schools amalgamated in 2011 and the decision to send the high school portion of Grassland School to Boyle was made in early 2020.
O’Shea then went on to recommend the closure of the school but said it was the will of the board and if they chose to save it, he would do whatever it would take to keep it open.
“Having said that, you know that the will of the board is one that I will support, and my team will support wholeheartedly,” he said. “I am prepared to roll up my sleeves and do whatever it takes to implement the will of the board moving forward on whatever decision is made around Rochester.”
Trustee Dennis MacNeil, who was principal at Rochester School at one time, said the decision was a tough one for him because his head and his heart were divided.
“When I got up this morning, I thought I had made a decision where I was heading here. I really thought that I had all of the information I needed to make an informed decision,” he said. “To be honest with you, I'm not sure whether I'm in my head or my heart.”
After lengthy discussion Nikipelo called the vote with all six trustees unanimously voting against the closure much to the delight of the staff and community members watching the live stream of the meeting.
“I was in the office with some of the staff and we were watching, there was already tears, and then they voted and I was looking around and I said, ‘You guys, no one is putting their hand up,’” said parent and school council chair Candice Jensen who had spoken to AVPS trustees several times in the past few weeks trying to keep the school open.
“It was insane, we were completely shocked. I'm so grateful the board heard us and gave us a chance.”
She added there is already a group formed producing ideas on how to promote the school to get the numbers up.
“So come September, we're looking good, and they can keep us open for even more years,” Jensen said. “We're happy and we're ready to hit the ground running.”
A motion to close only the junior high portion was quickly withdrawn before Nikipelo made her own motion.
“I would like to move that Rochester School remain open for the 2022 to 2023 school year and the numbers on enrolment presented to the board in the fall of 2022 so that we may see the numbers brought to the table at that time so that the school board can make a decision on the school for the following year which would be the 2023 to 2024 school year,” said Nikipelo.
However, trustee April Bauer questioned the motion stating enrolment numbers were covered under policy and if the school went under the established numbers, it would trigger the trustees having to discuss its future viability.
“I just felt that that a new motion needed to be put forward so the community of Rochester was aware that that discussion is still being had and that it will still be had," said Nikipelo. “It was made in response to trying to find that middle ground and to try to buy more time. Time is our bad guy … because more time means bigger deficit, means a lot of bad things to a small, declining rural division. Time is not our friend. So, this one year is buying us a little bit more time.”
She said that gives the administration, the public and staff time to work on a plan to keep the school open even longer, if possible, and the trustees voted unanimously in favour.
