Community groups in Jarvie and Fawcett will be given a chance to express their interest in taking over the empty school buildings in their hamlets this Wednesday, July 16.
The two 90-minute meetings will be held at 6 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. at the W.R. Frose School and Jarvie School gymnasiums respectively.
Although students from the Jarvie and Fawcett areas will be moved to Dapp to form the new Pembina North Community School at the start of the coming school year, Pembina Hills will keep the doors open and the lights on until Dec. 31 as per an agreement with the two public libraries housed in both buildings.
Pembina Hills trustees passed a motion at their June 25 board meeting to begin the process of disposition for Jarvie School and W.R. Frose School. The process begins with offering the properties to any community groups or non-profit associations that wish to take them over.
“We hope everyone will attend, so they can get the information and see if it’s something they’d like to take over,” said board chair Kim Webster.
She said the two meetings will start out with a presentation on what’s involved in taking over the buildings.
“We’re hoping for a bit of a dialogue as well. People can ask questions and we’ll have our director of facilities and maintenance to answer those questions,” she said.
Community association representatives will be able to take an information package containing details on utilities, the structural condition of the facilities, the state of the boilers and so forth.
Webster indicated the meetings are not a forum to protest the planned closures of either school, which the trustees voted to close in May.
“I think we’ve done a pretty thorough process of consultation,” she said.
“That is a closed door. The decision has been made.”
Webster noted they will ask the residents in attendance what kind of timeframe they need to discuss the possible takeover of Jarvie School and W.R. Frose School.
“We weren’t exactly sure what time would be reasonable, so we thought let’s find out from the groups what time is reasonable for them,” she said.
The demolition of both buildings will only be considered if no public group or private entity expresses an interest in the buildings.
Pembina Hills is currently waiting on the arrival of six modular classrooms in Dapp to accommodate its new population. The modulars have been completed and are awaiting transportation.
Webster said that updates on the Pembina North Community School, whether they are positive or negative, will be published on the Pembina Hills website at www.phrd.ab.ca.
