Pembina Hills school division trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to close W.R. Frose School and Jarvie School and convert Dapp School into an elementary and junior high school effective Sept. 1, 2014 provided there is enough room for the additional students.
The board also passed motions to apply to Alberta Education for two modular classrooms for Dapp School and to establish a new Westlock North transition team to provide the board direction on creating the new school.
The board made their decision before a crowd of about 40 people assembled in the gymnasium at Jarvie School.
After the first motion was passed, board chair Sharon Volorney commented that this process has been “very emotional and draining,” again thanking Westlock North Task Force for their efforts.
The future of the three schools in Dapp, Jarvie and Fawcett have been a hot-button issue since the Westlock North Task Force — a group of parents and school administrators — presented their recommendation to trustees on Jan. 23 to establish a single regional K-9 school at Dapp.
It should be noted that the recommendation of the task force differed from the board’s decision in that they said the amalgamation should take place over three years, and the board should consider double bussing if possible. Nothing was said about double bussing during Wednesday’s board meeting.
In their report, the task force said the one-school idea was the most cost-effective long-term solution with operational savings of more than $200,000, which in turn could go towards improved programming.
A consolidated school at Dapp would also have comparable or improved student transportation ride times due to the elimination of transfer points. The gains would only increase if double bussing was implemented.
Some parents were outraged at the potential closures of Jarvie and W.R. Frose School. Fueling the controversy was the fact that two task force members publicly disagreed with the recommendation.
Trustee Kim Webster said Pembina Hills received 30 letters and e-mails from individuals and organizations regarding this issue; 14 of these submissions were in support of the recommendation and 16 asked the division to either reject it or delay making a decision.
In addition, the division received 78 questions and published responses to each question, some of which were read out at the board meeting. A list of questions and responses can be found at the Pembina Hills website, www.phrd.ab.ca.
Webster noted the questions centred around six themes: the timing of the decision, the number of schools that should be in the Westlock North area, the impact on transportation, concern over cost of modular classrooms, regional school construction and the impact on a community because of school closures.
Before voting to go with a one-school solution, each trustee made comments about why they were adopting the task force’s recommendation and provided their own answers to some frequently-asked questions.
Trustee Annette Bokenfohr said she had heard many comments about the timing of the decision and whether they should take more time before making it. She noted she had also heard the board was “taking too long.”
“Is the timing ever going to be right? Do we have to move on and make this decision?” she asked.
Trustee Dale Schaffrick said it bothers him that they have children riding the bus for as much time as some people spend at work, but the bus routes with this one-school solution seem very viable and pick-up times are very acceptable.
Schaffrick said the whole reason that this task force was formed was because the declining enrolment at W.R. Frose School, which resulted in the transfer of the Grade 9 class to R.F. Staples, caught everyone by surprise.
While some contend the decision was made long before this meeting, Schaffrick said that is not what has happened.
“The reality is, we don’t have control over how many children there are in an area,” he said.
Regarding the point that modular classrooms will cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars even if Alberta Education approves them, trustee Sheri Watson made the point that residents pay the same amount in taxes no matter what.
“It’s not impacting our own operating budget to get the modulars, because if we get them the government pays for it. And it won’t raise our taxes or make us any more liable for the money,” she said.
In regards to the comment that the board seems to only pay attention to finances, Webster said they are trustees and they do have to be aware of financial costs.
“Even if we are the most loving, caring people in the world, we have to consider the dollars,” she said.
Webster said she had read letters to the board and comments in the media that the goal of the board has always been to close schools. She stressed they have no hidden agenda and are here “to do our very best with kids.”
“I would like our public to understand that we are just regular people who care deeply about our schools,” she said.
Trustee David Truckey said this has to be “one of the most gut-wrenching decisions I’ve ever had in front of me,” noting the issue was divisive even in his own family.
He also acknowledged the concern that closing a school will kill off a community, but pointed to Pickardville and Hazel Bluff as busy communities that continue to survive without schools.
He said he believed the northern communities will survive if they do pull together with the help of Westlock County.
Trustee Sherry Allen, who represents the ward the encompasses the three schools, made the motion to reconvene Dapp as a K-9 school. She said she appreciated the parents who sent in thoughtful comments.
“I really took to heart and thought about all the things you had to say,” she said.
Allen said she wished the county much success in finding solutions to grow the population of the northern communities, but noted this was not the job of the board.
In regards to the timing of the decision, she noted declining enrolment was one of the first things the board discussed when she was elected.
“Declining enrolment did not just happen last month,” she said.
Prior to the motions, Jarvie resident Rick Medcke presented a petition requesting the board to either not accept the task force’s recommendation or to delay making a decision. The board accepted the petition with a motion.
Medcke also made a quick presentation in which he said the whole process was rushed and was biased due to the lack of Jarvie residents (the only Jarvie representative was principal Martin Cairns).
He also said it would not maximize educational opportunities because they were losing the facilities provided by the Jarvie and Fawcett schools, such as two gymnasiums and libraries, and the interaction between communities.
After the meeting, Medcke said he was very disappointed by the board’s decision.
Medcke said it was hard to listen to the trustees’ speeches “that were written the night before.”
“They were not there to listen if they had pre-written speeches,” he said, noting he still believed the recommendation of the 44 North Task Force had been influenced by the board.
Medcke also said the board did not do a transportation study for the two-school model and three-school model that other camps were pushing for.
“They said they did not have their minds made up before, but their actions say something very different,” he said.
Medcke said he has spoken to others and they are going to take a couple of days to reflect before determining the next course of action.
At the meeting, one resident asked the board if the addition of modular classrooms would actually decrease the utilization rate at the new K-9 school in Dapp. She also asked about whether there would be enough library space and gym space in the new school.
Secretary-treasurer Tracy Meunier indicated that, with the combined enrolment of all three schools (just over 200 students), Dapp School would be at a 100 per cent utilization rate.
The addition of two modulars would drop that down to an 85 per cent utilization rate, which is the target set by Alberta Education.
In response to the second inquiry, Volorney said they would be leaving it up to the transition team to work out some of those details.
However, there are other schools whose enrolment is comparable to the combined student population of this new K-9 school (ie. over 200 students) and they have a gymnasium the same size of Dapp School’s own.
Prior to the motion, Dapp/Jarvie School Council chair Valerie Montgomery (who was also one of the task force members) said that if Pembina Hills does not have the best interests of children, then they do not deserve the benefit of their enrolment.
Noting that all communication with residents was unsolicited, Montgomery said she had been approached by many residents that are concerned about the loss of two schools and they would like to keep all three schools in whatever configuration will facilitate that.
“They feel it is in the best interests of the children and their education … The interaction between these communities is invaluable and unique,” she said.
Montgomery said people also feel that spending money to expand one school when there are perfectly fine existing facilities is a poor use of taxpayer dollars.
“The bigger picture is that moving everyone to Dapp does not just involve getting two modulars, but a whole lot of revisions that will cost money,” she said.
Montgomery also said people felt the task force process was just away of appeasing local residents.
“They also feel that the goal of the board has always been to close schools … Telling us that it is an emotional and tough decision is a cop-out.”
W.R. Frose School Council chair and Task Force member Christy Paly said the Fawcett school is the only school serving the Chisholm, Flatbush and Fawcett attendance area. She stressed that the closure of the school means their families are sacrificing he most.
Having said that, “we would love to keep the three schools open but realize it is not a reality,” she said.
W.R. Frose School’s closure will mean greater distances of travel for all children, but the important thing is that pick-up times will remain the same, and the pick-up times will be consistent with other ride times in Pembina Hills. Dapp and Jarvie parents will also see a decrease in the length of school days.
Paly encouraged the board to be pro-active and give the communities the opportunity to work together and create “an amazing school environment that honours the traditions and values of each school community.”
