Chaplin School is getting another chance to teach students of all ages. Earlier this week, the Prairie South School Division board announced its decision to overturn a decision the previous board made in 2007 to make the school a kindergarten to Grade 8 school. Before then it had been a kindergarten to Grade 12 school.
With its high school students now staying in the community, Chaplin has been given another chance to prove that the school is worth saving, despite the extra costs.
The changes come after an original plan to axe the school altogether because the board was looking at finances and determined that the school was below a level of enrolment to make it financially feasible.
It is more costly for school divisions to operate rural schools and, if enrolment drops too much, it can be hard to justify keeping them open. This time the board decided to give more credence to other issues besides the bottom line.
At the time when Chaplin successfully saved part of the school, the community said it was necessary in getting people to move to the rural centre.
With the school becoming K-12 again, it is now up to the community to work on attracting residents and increasing enrolment to show Prairie South it was worth taking the chance on Chaplin.
