Photo: Woking School / Facebook

By Shaun Penner

Tough Decision, Chair Says

PWPSD Board votes to close Woking School following 2020-21 school year

May 1, 2021 | 7:00 AM

CORRECTION: Our original title stated Woking School would close at the end of the 2021-22 school. The school will be closing at the end of this school year, 2020-21. Our apologies for the error.

The Board of Trustees with the Peace Wapiti Public School Division made their decision official on Thursday, by voting to permanently close Woking School at the end of this school year.

It was not an easy decision to make, admits Board Chair Kari Scheers, who also serves as the Trustee for the Rycroft, Eaglesham and Woking district. However, she says it was a decision made in the best interest of the students.

“Our top priority is those kids at that school,” said Scheers. “I believe they are going to get a better, more equitable education through one of our larger schools.”

The process of deciding whether to close the school started back in February when Superintendent Bob Stewart forwarded a recommendation to the board to close the school in the hamlet, located about 50 kilometres north of downtown Grande Prairie in Saddle Hills County.

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The key reasons for such a recommendation were low student enrolment, which in turn would lead to rising operational costs for the division as provincial grant funding would be reduced.

Continued declines in enrolment at the school were set to bring the Grade K-8 school’s population to well below 35.

“(That’s) statistically comparable to other schools who have that many students in one class,” said Scheers.

Following the recommendation in February, the board first sought to engage with families and community stakeholders on what their thoughts were on the potential closure.

Scheers says the board and administration received a great deal of feedback from parents and stakeholders, who felt bittersweet about the decision that had to be made.

“It was a tough decision. It was sad,” said Scheers. “They were not ecstatic about it, but the overall feeling, I think, was that they knew that it was time. That this was going to happen.”

As the school closes its doors at the end of June, students who live to the east of Highway 2 in the current Woking School catchment area will be bussed to Rycroft School, while all others will go to Spirit River Regional Academy.

However, the board has implemented a one-time clause for families living in the new Rycroft catchment to opt to send their children to Spirit River Regional Academy if they wish to start next year.

“Just because these students are so close-knit,” said Scheers. “We wanted to make sure that the ease of the transition was going to be as smooth as possible.”

Scheers added that she is sad to see the school close, but she is confident in the board’s decision.

She also thanks everyone who has made “that great little school” as successful as it was.

“I know that all the teachers there have done a wonderful job with the kids that have come and gone from that school.

“But I believe that this was, as I say, the best decision for those kids at that school.”