The Westlock North Task Force will soon bring a recommendation to Pembina Hills trustees to establish a consolidated K-9 school in Dapp within the next three years, while shuttering Jarvie School and W.R. Frose School in Fawcett.
The task force — made up of parents, principals and school council members from Dapp, Jarvie and Fawcett — have been meeting since last summer to discuss options for the future of all three schools, following a set of large-scale community consultations held last spring.
The consultation was itself spurred by the problem of declining enrolment at all three schools, which resulted in the transfer of the Grade 9 class at W.R. Frose School in Fawcett to R.F. Staples.
The task force determined that, if enrolment projections in all three communities continue to decline as predicted, all three schools north of Westlock will meet one or more of the division’s criteria for closure.
Former Pembina Hills Supt. Sig Schmold, who acted as a facilitator for the task force, said the group saw one of two scenarios eventually unfolding: the communities either put together a regional school, or they struggle to maintain three schools that are becoming increasingly non-viable.
“It’s kind of a bold recommendation; the task force is quite aware of that,” he said.
The task force decided a consolidated school could provide enhanced and expanded learning opportunities that wasn’t possible at each individual school, would improve bus ride times for students and provide a common school year and day.
Financially, it would be the best cost-effective long-term solution by improving the school utilization rate, as well as saving money spent on maintenance and upkeep of three schools.
It was also noted that a consolidated Dapp School could become a “lighthouse school” for area parents.
The task force reasoned that, if the numbers warrant the change, the board could consider bussing students to Dapp from south of the current attendance line.
Further rationale for the amalgamation, as well as the reasons for choosing Dapp at the site of the new school, can be found starting on Page 1 of the Jan. 7 edition of the Town & Country.
The task force is set to bring their recommendation forward to the Pembina Hills trustees at their meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 23, but before that, the W.R. Frose and Dapp/Jarvie School Councils will host an information evening on Tuesday, Jan. 22, to discuss the task force’s recommendation.
Schmold indicated in an e-mail that one information session will be held at W.R. Frose School at 5 p.m., while the other will be held at Dapp at 7 p.m.
