Overcrowding in Battlefords schools is on the agenda to be addressed by Living Sky School Division, and a board committee has been struck to recommend how to proceed.
The crowded conditions of some of the division's elementary schools, especially Battleford Central School, along with an underused high school facility, has the board looking at moving Grade 8, and possibly Grade 7, students to North Battleford Comprehensive High School.
Other changes may be considered as well. What, how and when those changes may be made is to be determined after public consultation, the board decided at last week's regular board meeting.
The board had been waiting on the answer to a legal question, whether the upcoming process would have to be conducted as a school review. It does not.
Challis said now that answer is in, they should move ahead, however he felt it would be difficult to make any decisions without public consultation.
Board members Challis, Garth Link and Glenn Wouters, representatives of North Battleford schools, along with board member Bob Foreman, representative of Battleford schools, will form the new committee along with executive staff members Randy Fox, director of education, Ray Kopera, chief financial officer, and Lonny Darroch, superintendent of business. They are to report back with recommendations on how to proceed at the Jan. 25 meeting.
Challis, who has been among those attending joint meetings between the City of North Battleford and the Light of Christ Catholic School Division that included discussions about the eventual need for a school on the north end of the city, said projected increases in population are being based mainly on rumour, and may or may not come about. But, he said, to do nothing until overcrowding is out of hand would be short-sighted.
While he acknowledged the need to move forward, Fox said the board's decisions will have to account for the time needed to make any required renovations, prepare students for a change of surroundings, and prepare staff for changes in working conditions, perhaps even job losses.
He added that if the possibility of a shared facility between the two school divisions is added into the mix, things will be even more complicated.
"Let's make sure we do it right," said Fox.
Board chair Ken Arsenault pointed out the process cannot be solely data-driven; there will emotions involved as well.
"That sometimes trumps what the data says."
The division's most recent facilities rationalization study was completed in 2008, facilitated by Lawrence Chomos of the Saskatchewan Education Leadership Unit.
Recommendations from the results included either the creation of a middle years school for the Battlefords or moving Grade 8 students to North Battleford Comprehensive High School.
One of the findings of the study was that a significant number of respondents said closing the community's middle years schools (Battleford Junior High School and Alexander Junior High school in 2001) was a mistake.
