"Saskatchewan has gone from a province where people were moving out to a province where people are choosing to stay and moving in," Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall
(Source: Humboldt Journal, February 18, 2012)
The Nokomis School Review Committee agrees with the optimism Premier Brad Wall has in response to Saskatchewan's growing population and economy. The findings of our 2012 Review Report indicate the same positive trends here in our own community. However, the committee is disappointed at the Horizon School Division board's decision to continue the review as described in the motion published by the Horizon School Division No. 205 on January 30, 2012. The motion as written does not depict the true growth and viability of the Nokomis School, or the community itself.
Here's a snapshot of Nokomis School and our community:
Nokomis will see a 20 per cent increase in school enrolment in the next four years. These are very positive numbers, and do not take into consideration the residual effects that BHP Billiton's mega-project at Jansen Lake will bring to our region. Currently Nokomis has 21 children awaiting enrolment into Kindergarten over the next two years. This is an exciting time for the community of Nokomis.
Our local economy has enjoyed a return of the critical 20- to 35-year-old couples and individuals establishing or looking to establish a home, families and working gainfully in the local and regional economy. We also see this trend continuing regionally as PCS, Mosaic and BHP continue to develop the Potash sector in Saskatchewan's resource economy.
Our findings also indicate that Nokomis School is on par with other schools throughout the Division in key budgetary and programming areas.
The community of Nokomis has provided this Review Committee with overwhelming support for the continued operation of our K to 12 school in each of the four reviews performed in the past five years. To not have these positive results recognized by the board has created a great deal of frustration throughout the attendance area and beyond.
Although the large-scale trends of enrolment and census data are important indicators for the board, the committee feels they have to take into consideration the actual school and community population data and economic activity evident in the findings of each of the four school review reports provided by this Committee to the Board since 2006.
Further frustration is felt by the committee and indeed the community in wasting valuable resources and time on the review process instead of directing these resources towards continuing to build upon our increasing school enrolment and economic development initiatives. The repetition of the review process also puts undue pressure on our existing business community that is growing and self-sufficient. Why should our community's stability be challenged when we continue to exhibit viability and growth?
Saskatchewan has seen a massive transition in the rural landscape over the past few decades. Many rural communities have experienced declining school enrolments and aging populations. While enrolments have dipped in Nokomis, they are again on the rise, as is the growth in the critical 20- to 35-year-old segment of this community's population. The work of the Nokomis School Review Committee has shown this in the past three reviews.
We need your support. We need this support because we share in the common need for accessible services. We need to come together again and remind each other that we work, trade and play in the same backyard.
Let's take our lead from other school divisions, like Prairie South S.D. No. 210 and Sun West S. D. No. 207, and find innovative solutions for small communities. These other divisions are re-examining small rural schools, seeing their advantages, and moving to retain them and increase their usage through community involvement. This is the kind of innovation the community of Nokomis would like to see from Horizon School Division.
Let's start working together so we can protect our interests and continue to see our communities grow and thrive!
