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Fort Assiniboine School Public Meeting

February 8, 2011. Fort Assiniboine School Public Meeting. Purpose of the Public Meeting. To discuss the possible school closure of grades 10-12 at Fort Assiniboine School The following motion was passed by the Board of Trustees of PHRD:

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Fort Assiniboine School Public Meeting

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  1. February 8, 2011 Fort Assiniboine School Public Meeting

  2. Purpose of the Public Meeting • To discuss the possible school closure of grades 10-12 at Fort Assiniboine School • The following motion was passed by the Board of Trustees of PHRD: • Moved by Trustee Volorney that the Board of Trustees commence the process to consider school closure; and specifically that the Board of Trustees hereby serves notice that a motion to close the senior high program (grades 10 to 12) at Fort Assiniboine School which is located in Woodlands County, will be debated and voted upon at the Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees scheduled for March 16, 2011

  3. Agenda • Welcome & Introductions – Douglas Fleming, Board Chair • Superintendent’s presentation – Egbert Stang, Superintendent of Schools • Parent and community presentations • To ensure PHRD has a complete and accurate record of the presentations, please provide a copy to PHRD • Question period

  4. Administrative Procedure 20-9 - Criteria for School Closure • PHRD Administrative Procedure 20-9 states that an entire school, or 3 or more consecutive grades in a school, may be considered for closure if 1 of 6 criteria are met • Following is an analysis of the criteria as it applies to Fort Assiniboine School:

  5. AP 20-9 - Criteria for School Closure • Criteria 2.1 – 5 yr. enrolment projections & previous trends indicate the probability that future enrolment numbers in the school may not allow for programming which is effective and efficient in the judgment of the Superintendent • Sr. High enrolment as of Sept 30/10 – 46 students • Sr. High enrolment projections for the following 5 years: • Offering a full senior high program to enrolments of this level over a period of time is not educationally sound for students, given the available resources

  6. AP 20-9 - Criteria for School Closure (cont.) • Criteria 2.2 The facility space utilization rate as defined by the provincial government as of September 30 in the current school year is less than 50% and enrolment projections indicate no marked improvement in utilization rate for the next 3 yrs • 2010-11 utilization rate for Fort Assiniboine School is projected at 66.97%, above the 50% criteria • To increase utilization of the school & help fund the Plant Operations & Maintenance financial shortfall for the facility, PHRD is currently in discussions with Woodlands County for the leasing of the public/school library space & space utilized by the playschool

  7. AP 20-9 - Criteria for School Closure (cont.) • Criteria 2.3 The continued operation of the school poses a health or safety threat to students, staff or public • Fort Assiniboine School currently does not pose a health or safety threat to students, staff or public • Criteria 2.4 Less than 60% of eligible students in a school’s attendance area attend the school in their attendance area • In 2010-11 approximately 94% of the eligible students in the Fort Assiniboine attendance area attend Fort Assiniboine School • The % is well above the 60% criteria

  8. AP 20-9 - Criteria for School Closure (cont.) • Criteria 2.5 The continued operation of the school will create excessive costs to the School Division • 2010-11 projected instructional deficit, based on PHRD allocation formula - $52,946 • 2011-12 projected instructional deficit as a K-12 school - $101,802 • Operating Reserve @ Sept 1/10 - $128,865 (+ $40,000 in technology operating reserve) • Ft. Assin. School has sufficient funds to cover their 2010-11 projected deficit. • The reserve fund will be depleted in 2011-12 • School will begin to experience operating debt, compounded by annual operating deficits • The continued shortfall will threaten the financial viability of the entire school

  9. AP 20-9 - Criteria for School Closure (cont.) • Criteria 2.6 Total student enrolment in 3 or more grades falls below numbers considered viable from a financial operations and program delivery perspective

  10. How the closure will affect the attendance area defined for Fort Assiniboine • If the motion to close the senior high program at Fort Assiniboine School is passed by the Board of Trustees, Administration will recommend to the Board that the grade 10-12 students residing in the Fort Assiniboine attendance area be directed to Barrhead Composite High School

  11. How the closure will affect the attendance area at other schools • Barrhead Composite High School’s utilization rate for 2010-11 is projected at 64.08% • BCHS has available room for the grade 10-12 students from the Fort Assiniboine attendance area

  12. The number of students who will need to be relocated as a result of the closure

  13. Information on the Board’s Long Range Capital Plan • The Board’s top 4 priorities are: • Neerlandia Public Christian School – replacement • W.R. Frose School (Fawcett) – right-sizing & modernization • Barrhead Composite High School – modernization • Westlock Elementary School – modernization • Unfortunately PHRD has not received capital funding since the Eleanor Hall replacement school(Clyde) in 2006

  14. The need for, and extent of, bussing • If the grade 10-12 students from Ft. Assiniboine are directed to BCHS, sufficient time needs to be allowed in order to transport the students to & from Barrhead • To keep the transportation system financially viable, a single busing system would be required • All students, regardless of grade, would be transported to & from Ft. Assin. School. • Students in grades 10-12 would transfer at Ft. Assin. School to an express route to Barrhead (no stops)

  15. Projected impact on bussing • In order to have sufficient time to transport the high school students from Ft. Assiniboine School to BCHS, a change to Ft. Assiniboine School’s bell times will be required • This will consequently affect student pick-up & drop-off times • Existing routes will be re-designed • Ft. Assiniboine School bell times will change to 8:30 a.m. – 3:40 p.m. • Currently 8:50 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

  16. Projected impact on bussing • Timetable for grade 10-12 students from Ft. Assin. will be structured to allow for a dismissal time of 3:10 p.m. • Express bus will leave Barrhead @ 3:15 p.m. • When the express bus arrives at Ft. Assin. School the Kindergarten – Grade 9 students will have already boarded their buses • The early dismissal time of 3:10 p.m. will not allow Kindergarten-grade 9 students from Ft. Assin to access the express bus

  17. PHRD Schools with Alternate School Years Pick-up, Drop-off & Bell-time Comparison

  18. Program implications for other schools and for the students when they are attending other schools • The closing of grades 10-12 at Ft Assin School would not have any negative impact on BCHS • The decision to close the senior high program at Ft Assin School would not have a negative impact on the students attending BCHS • The transition plan & review of program offerings and support structures are outlined in the January 24, 2011 letter to parents

  19. The educational impact of closing grade 10-12 at Ft AssinSchool • If the Board approves the recommendation to close the senior high program: • School bell times will be approx. 8:30 a.m. – 3:40 p.m. • Additional alternate days will be scheduled due to the increased instructional time per day

  20. The educational impact of closing Grade 10-12 at Ft Assin School • Preliminary class combinations: • Given the junior high enrolments of 21-26 over the next 5 years, the following courses could be configured as a grade 7/8/9 combined class: • Physical Education • Career and Technology Studies (CTS) • Fine Arts

  21. The financial impact of closing Grade 10-12 at Ft Assin School • The school is better equipped to become financially viable • Minimal impact on capital costs • PHRD will continue to work with Woodlands County to secure a lease for the library & playschool spaces. Therefore, discussion will not be required on potential right-sizing of the facility • No additional cost for transportation • The province provides transportation funding based on the distance from the student’s residence to their designated school • Additional funding will fund the express bus to Barrhead

  22. The educational and financial impact if the high school remains open • Given the enrolment projections, offering a full high school program over a period of time is not educationally sound for students, given the available resources • Continuing to offer a high school program with the available resources and projected enrolments is not financially sustainable • Beginning 2011-12 the reserve will be depleted and the school will begin to experience operating debt, compounded each year by annual operating deficits • The continued shortfall will threaten the financial viability of the entire school

  23. The capital needs of the school that may have increased enrolment as a result of the closure • No additional capital needs for BCHS due to the increased enrolment from the closure of grades 10-12 at Ft Assin School

  24. The possible uses of the school building if the senior high program is closed • If grades 10-12 at Fort Assiniboine School are closed, the school will continue to operate for Kindergarten – grade 9 • It is hoped that, through leasing of the playschool & library space to Woodlands County, further opportunities for the community may arise

  25. Additional Meeting – February 15, 2011 • An additional opportunity for individuals or groups to make presentations regarding the proposed closure directly to the Board of Trustees, by appointment, will take place on February 15, 2011 at Ft Assin School, beginning at 7:00 p.m. • If you would like an appointment, please phone Joyce Fott at (780)674-8513 • If there are no appointments, the meeting will not take place

  26. March 16, 2011 Regular Board Meeting • The Board will debate and vote upon the possible closure of the senior high program at Ft. Assiniboine School at their March 16, 2011 Regular Meeting • The debate will be scheduled on the agenda for 1:00 p.m.

  27. Recommendation to Board (pending closure of grades 10-12) • That the Board develop a plan to pursue the feasibility of the re-establishment of the senior high program at Ft. Assin School at the end of a 3 year period, commencing Sept 1/11 & that the plan involve: • Looking at how PHRD delivers educational programming to students • Community development • Governance discussion on ways to address rural education & its challenges

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