As news spreads of the announcement of an East Wheatland school to serve communities in Standard, Hussar, Gleichen and Rockyford, so does reaction from parents.
Last week the Alberta government and Golden Hills School Division announced two new schools; one in Three Hills and one in East Wheatland.
After years of discussion, planning, and consulting, all in the face of declining numbers and aging facilities, families in East Wheatland learned of a new centralized school, planned to be located near the intersection of Highway 840 and Highway 561.
Some were overjoyed.
“It is absolutely fantastic, it is the best news I have heard in 20 years,” said Clay Armstrong of Hussar.
Armstrong has been involved over the last 10 years to come up with a solution for schooling in the area. He has two children in the school system.
“We will support this thing 110 per cent when the doors open,” he said, adding he feels many others will follow suit. Depending on when the school opens, there will be students in the twilight of their high school career who would opt not to change schools.
“The only ones that might not (attend) are the ones in their Grade 11 or 12 year when the school is completed, depending on how the courses line up,” he said.
Over the last few years there has been a drain from area schools as students and parents have arranged for the students to attend other schools in different communities. Superintendent Bevan Daverne has seen this trend changing.
“I think things will be okay. Even this year with the work that had happened last year and the proposal that came forward and the board’s support, we saw a shift in that part of our district. For the first time in a long time, we did not have a decline in enrollment in East Wheatland from last year to this year. I think the reason for that is they found the process very hopeful.”
The working group bears a big responsibility in making this a reality.
“They did a fantastic job of engaging more broadly with parents across all the communities. Their eventual recommended proposal to consolidate all the schools and look at location, made a new school possible,” said Daverne.
He said the solution might be something that shapes future policy.
“This could be a model for what could be a solution for rural sustainability in general across the province,” said Daverne.
Mark Skibsted of the Rosebud area feels while the development is positive, it might not be ideal.
“It’s been a long time coming. It’s positive we needed a school in a bad way,” said Skibsted. “The location is okay, it seems to work for everybody.”
Despite this, he still feels the optimal solution would have been to have the school within a community.
“I am nervous for the kids because at lunch time or for activities, they have to get into a vehicle to go somewhere. I was hoping it was in a town. I don’t care if it was Standard, Hussar or Rockyford, as long as it was in a town, then kids could walk downtown to get a bite to eat or whatever. Now if they want to have some curling or ice opportunities, they have to get on a bus.”
With or without the changes, one constant he hopes for is the high quality of teaching that his children are accustomed.
“There are some really good teachers who actually care. If they move onto the new school I’ll be a very happy camper,” said Skibsted.
Daverne said they are waiting for the financial part of the announcement, and then they can begin planning. The next step is for county council to approve a re-zoning of the parcel of land to develop the school.
Armstrong says now is the time to be vigilant.
“Now is the time to support our county councillors because a lot of time all you hear is the negativity. The squeaky wheel gets the grease,” said Armstrong. “The provincial government has said ‘this is a good idea, and now here’s the money.’ Everybody should get behind it.”