Three month wait for decision

Prairie South School Division board chairman Gord Stewart described a letter from the premier, hinting school closures be delayed, as encouraging, but stopped short of saying the board will halt closures.
The letter from Premier Brad Wall said the new government is committed to changing the rules for rural school closure and will exhaust all avenues before closing schools.
"Other school board trustees in some areas have already taken it upon themselves to delay previously announced reviews until our government can make the changes we promised to the Education Act," Gord Stewart said.
The letter and a presentation by local MLA Lyle Stewart at the Wednesday meeting to review Eyebrow School closure "are very promising" but the board won't make a decision until the May 6 meeting.
"I can't speak for the board," said Gord Stewart.
Three months remain until a final decision must be made, he said.
The board could either discontinue some grades at the kindergarten to Grade 12 school, close it, or leave it open, Gord Stewart said.
"It was a very positive meeting. Some good points were made, good questions asked."
Community school council chairman Phil Bueckert said the community worked well together on the presentations.
"It's in the board's hands," he said. "We want to work with them but we don't know if they want to work with us."
Bueckert hopes the premier's letter and the MLA's words will help keep the school open.
But he's hoping a favourable decision won't be another one-year delay.
"I don't want any of this one-year stuff. It wears us down," said Bueckert.
Eyebrow escaped being shuttered in 2007, unlike five other schools, after initially being reviewed.
"I don't know if the board realizes how much stress this causes in the community . . . lots of sleepless nights," he said.
A letter from PanTerra Resources vice-president Herve Collet of Calgary said the oil and gas explorer has invested $5 million to drill natural gas wells in the district.
Collet said the company would like to employ local people as it expands but it requires services to live in the district.
Parent Marcia Nash said her daughter, afflicted with a rare disease, and three other girls with special needs are an accepted part of the community.
"Our girls do not have the voice to fight back," she said. "They are among society's weakest members."
Gord Stewart said the school with 51 full-time equivalent students used only 28 per cent of the space.
Enrolment is projected to stay around 50.
Maintenance costs are $1,787 per student, well above the division average of $1,013.
The school needs $1 million in upgrades to bring it up to standards, according the division's capital needs review done in 2007.
The closure of the five schools in 2007 reduced the division's upgrade needs by $5.2 million to $50 million.

Ron Walter can be reached at 691-1264.

Chad: - September 18th, 2009 at 18:06:35

Missy, I did not go to a smaller school, so I cannot speak for the benefits of them, but I appreciate both points of view that the smaller schools do have to offer. There are positives and negatives, and I believe the negatives in this specific situation far outweigh the positives. The argument about the sports was used against us last year, and that, to me, doesn't hold much water. There are other things you mention that the school board also tried to argue last year that may work in some situations and not in others. I'll leave you with this...when a bus ride exceeds, say, an hour per day, I think that is excessive, even for an able bodied person. I would not want to have to get my kids up so early in the morning and not see them till late afternoon/early evening.

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Tammy: - September 18th, 2009 at 17:58:22

Closing schools is not the answer to anything. Been there, done that. Last year we spent from January to May fighting the closure of Broadway Community School (K - 6) and lost. Many parents gave up a lot of time, money and extreme effort to prove our school was necessary. We lost that battle. Now the remaining schools in Melfort are running at full capacity while the city is promoting growth due to diamond mines in the area. The school my children now attend have classes from 25-30 students in them. My oldest daughter has gone from almost a straight A students to having more B's and a lot of lower marks on exams. However I am thankful that I do not have to send my children on a bus to god knows where, miles and miles away from me everyday. I can walk in to the school and most of them know who I am. This will not happen for the families of Eyebrow if their children are sent to Moose Jaw. One of the girls mentioned with special needs is my own niece, I attented Eyebrow school from grades 1 - 12. It would be a huge waste. If the Prairie South School Division is anything like the North East School Division you can bet the savings that they are claiming by closing schools will disappear. They won't spend the difference where it is needed most.

Chad: - September 18th, 2009 at 17:42:14

WHY can these guys/gals make a decision before the three months are up? There is nothing tying them to that timeline, and they have every right to pull the decision (if it's to keep the school open) before that deadline. This really sucks for those involved because it does put a tremendous amount of stress on the families and communities involved, often unnecessarily. I cannot understand why they are even considering Eyebrow with the disabled students they have there. The long bus rides is bad enough for those able bodied people. I really feel for those that have to deal with the extra burden put on them from this.

Please, Mr. Stewart (both of you brothers) just pony up and say NO to school closures now. Have a heart and do some planning.

jr: - September 18th, 2009 at 17:32:39

numbers numbers got to make you laugh they say need a million to tune up the school what a joke
last week they said if they put the multiplex in downtown moose jaw they could fix all the steets around the building for 25000
maybe they need to get the same person that did that study to do the eyebrow school study too

Kelly: - September 18th, 2009 at 17:18:11

It can be noted that the enrollment number was at the end of Sept. From what I understand the numbers have increased since then. Also I find it hard to believe that the school needs 1 mil In repairs. On what ? My kids go there and they don't seem to be too hot in summer or too cold in winter. I would suspect these are numbers that the division likes to use to help their case when they need an excuse to close a school. I would say with four less schools in the division maybe they need less administration as well.

Chris: - September 18th, 2009 at 17:16:54

Eyebrow school was 53 FTE On b Sept 30th /b and we are already at b 57 FTE as of Jan 08 /b . 10% increase in our population, and Gord is wrong saying that we are at 51 and supposed to stay there!!! b I think Gord needs to pay closer attention at meetings!! /b

Chad: - September 18th, 2009 at 17:11:23

Kelly, let me tell you from personal experience (my kids went to Ross) those numbers are probably exaggerated as to make it look worse for the schools. FYI Gravelbourg at last look needs $12 MILLION in upgrades. Why are they not touching that school, other than Marion Piche is on the board and probably will never let that happen. If they didn't exaggerate the numbers, they'd have a harder time making valid arguments. That and the number is to bring the school up to pristine condition, I'm talking heated floors, brand new windows, computers in every classroom, the works! How do I know? The school that they send our kids to now has it all. Nice hey?

Jess: - September 18th, 2009 at 16:40:40

If tehy close any school... They should have closed Prince Arthur in moose jaw. Look at how much work went in to that school? They were taking students to other schools because they could not attend that shcool for almost a year. it got a hole new face lift. In that time, they closed what school? ross? I can not remember as I moved. Either way, Prince Arthure should have been closed.

They have money to spend on schools, they rather not. Thats the problem. Hate to say it but poor elbow witch i think SHOULD stay open, will probably lose this battle... Like the other schools.

Missy: - September 18th, 2009 at 16:27:51

I think that all of you are doing justice for trying to convince the school board that the school should stay open. However, you may be failling to see that you are just post-phoning the inevitable. Smaller schools will close. Larger centers will expand to meet the needs of their students. Eyebrow cannot offer full sports programs because of their dwindling enrollment. Teachers are expected to teach up to four different grades in one class. Students are only exposed to a limited number of teaching styles- from these teachers who end up teaching them for four or five years. Students aren't able to interact with a wide variety of friends because you are friends with those who are around you. It is impossible to keep this school open for the select few. Granted, they will experience long bus rides, new challenges and new experiences. Aids, that are helping those students, will be able to travel to the next job to help them out. Small town Saskatchewan is struggling. I am not telling you to give up completely, but realize that you may not be doing the best thing for the students, teachers or the local community. Does it make sense to keep open a school with numbers around 40-50, when you could be somewhere where numbers are around 120? A larger center may offer your students a greater opportunity in class diversity, teachers, and life experiences.

connie: - September 18th, 2009 at 16:18:25

A Good Question -- why cause the additional stress for families by waiting for 3 months?

This is particularly stressful for the special needs students and their families.

Marcia Nash is correct when she says the girls do not have the voice to fight back and that they are among society's weakest members.

And since the Sask. Party government just disbanded the Saskatchewan Council on Disability Issues, who is going to protect the rights of the voiceless and the weakest members in society in Saskatchewan?

I am aware of many special needs students and they are not being given an equal opportunity to reach their potential.

I'm always amused when I see Saskatchewan's motto -- a good place to live, work and raise a family.

It may be a good place to raise a family ONLY IF YOUR CHILDREN DO NOT HAVE ANY DISABILITIES OF ANY KIND.

I would URGE Mr. Stewart to do the right thing. I would urge Mr. Stewart and the PSSD board to pay more attention to all special needs students in general.
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