ARBORFIELD — Chet Edwards, Arborfield’s mayor, said that the Town of Arborfield opposes the review process to consider closing Arborfield School and moving the students to the future Carrot River location.
The North East School Division’s (NESD’s) review process is slated for fall 2022, which will include consulting with the community, as well as analyzing Arborfield School based on cost, transportation and programming if it stayed open versus if some of the students transferred to Carrot River in the 2023-24 year.
“It’s hard on the town, it’s hard on the businesses in the town, it’s hard on the extended care lodge in town, it’s a vital part of the community,” Edwards said.
“It takes business out of town. If you have to pick your kids up in Carrot River, you’re likely going to do your shopping in Carrot River. The negative impact is just people leaving town. There’s not a whole bunch left in town but if you take the school, you take the rest with it.”
Don Rempel, the North East School Division’s director of education, said the closure of Arborfield School is “not an if, it’s a when.”
“Arborfield School is still functional but it’s one of our oldest schools and it’s not likely to be replaced through our capital process,” Rempel said. “So the board had to be transparent in saying that we’re going to be including Arborfield students into future attendance of the Carrot River School.”
He said that if Arborfield got 90 K-12 students it’s “protected” but with small student enrollments the option to close it remains open to the board.
“With an aging facility and a low enrollment, it’s likely that the future would be the students would go to Carrot River school.”
In a letter to the NESD board in June, Andrea Bell, the RM of Arborfield’s acting administrator, also objected on behalf of the RM council, who she said were “extremely disappointed” to hear from social media rather than the division directly that they would be putting the school under review and expressed multiple concerns.
These concerns included whether past sustainability measures were wasted on Arborfield School and that they feel a lack of representation from the NESD board with the local trustee, Kevin Trew, supporting the review process as well as taking a job as the administrator of the Town of Outlook outside the NESD earlier this year.
“The school replacement in Carrot River is supported by the RM council, however it should not be to the detriment of Arborfield students,” Bell wrote. “These decisions greatly affect the community of Arborfield in a negative way and creates anxiety among residents and students alike. In this time of great stress and uncertainty, council feels that it is not warranted or acceptable.”
The NESD replied via letters to both the town and the RM, assuring the communities that the board will invite and encourage them to become involved in the school review process, and options such as grade discontinuance are considered by the board, not just school closure.
They also explained that administration has consulted with corporate services of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association in regards if Trew is eligible to remain as a trustee for the NESD, which they were assured he can continue to serve so long as his permanent residence remains within the boundaries of the NESD.
In an interview, Trew said that he currently resides in the Town of Carrot River and owns land within the RM of Moose Range.
“I have been fortunate enough to have resided in the North East School Division for over 51 years. It will always be my home, my commitment to the north east has never been in question and never should be,” Trew said.
“When I no longer reside in the North East School Division I will be resigning my seat as a trustee of the NESD.”
Edwards said that while he can’t speak for members of council, he felt the NESD’s letters didn’t resolve any of the issues.
“It was a stagnant reply,” Edwards said.
