Fort Livingstone School in Pelly could be shut down as early as next September.
At its regular board meeting October 9, Good Spirit School Division (GSSD) announced it would undertake a review of the viability of the school based on criteria established by The Education Act.
Primary among these was the fact enrolment in the K-12 school has dropped to 68, well below the provincial threshold of 88 that triggers the possibility for a review, GSSD director of education Dwayne Reeve explained.
The low number of students brings into play other criteria such as transportation considerations, grade configuration, staffing, operational costs, facility standards, program offerings and extra-curricular activities.
"We need to ensure that we are offering the best education opportunities possible for students," stated Bryan Cottenie, board chair. "In reviewing data around viability considerations, we, as a board, decided that we need to take more time to further investigate the future sustainability of the school in Pelly."
The division will appoint a review committee by October 31 to study the issue and report back to the board by the end of January 2015. Trustees then must decide whether to put the school under consideration for closure or grade discontinuation. If the board decides to put the school under consideration, it has until April 15 to make a decision. If that decision is to close the school, parents will have the summer to make new arrangements.
Reeve said the majority of students will likely end up being bussed to Norquay, about 12 kilometres northwest of Pelly. Others may choose to travel to Manitoba, where the nearest school is in Benito, approximately 42 kilometres east.
Cottenie said the process would be consultative.
"The community of Pelly will play an instrumental role in the decision-making process," he said.
"As a public entity, we want to ensure we not only take the data into account but we also want to hear from community members too. They will be welcome to present information through the review committee in working towards [sic] our common goal of making sure the best future for students is a reality."
