A frustrated delegation from Gronlid Central came to the North East School Division鈥檚 board, feeling efforts to make their school more viable 鈥� including a daycare proposal 鈥� have been ignored.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not hard to have people commit to the community and commit to having the kids in our school,鈥� Greg Cochran, the vice-chair of the Gronlid Central School Community Council, told the board at their Jan. 23 meeting. 鈥淲hat is hard is to keep that commitment when people see decisions continuing to be made that don鈥檛 show a commitment to the school and to the community from the school division.鈥�
Gronlid Central was one of two schools put under a review last year due to its low student population. The result of the review saw the school become a K to 8 school instead of a K to 12.
High among Cochran鈥檚 concerns was the school division鈥檚 decision to not lease space in the school for a daycare.
鈥淔or parents in rural areas, one of the main reasons they end up taking their kids into town is because we have two working parents now, mom has to go to Melfort, Nipawin or Tisdale, what do you do with the kids before school and after school? You need daycare,鈥� he said. 鈥淗aving that in our school does improve the viability of our school overall and our community.鈥�
The division rejected the proposal in part because funding wasn鈥檛 secured from the Early Learning and Child Care branch. Cochran said the division knew that for months before they turned the proposal down, but they weren鈥檛 told to stop their efforts.
Cochran told the division he wants them to reopen discussion on the subject. Luke Perkins, the division's chair, said the board hasn鈥檛 discussed the issue as this was the first meeting since the decision was made.
The school community council vice-chair said he鈥檇 also like the division to reexamine the school鈥檚 catchment area so that those just outside the boundary wanting to go to the school can be transported. He was also concerned that Grade 7s and 8s weren鈥檛 seeing extra supports despite reassurances that they would if grades were discontinued.
Perkins acknowledged the frustration of the school community council and said action would be taken to improve communication.
鈥淚 think it starts with me attending their SCC meeting [on Jan. 24], that and doing an open-end dialogue,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where we start: getting back to dialogue.鈥�
The division chair said those conversations will be hard to have.
鈥淓verybody鈥檚 passionate about their schools. It鈥檚 good to have these conversations open and honest.鈥�
