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Poll suggests support for high school

The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.

The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.

A full 60 per cent of Creighton and Denare Beach residents want the proposed Creighton high school to become a reality, suggests an unofficial poll conducted by The Reminder. Of 45 residents phoned at random over the weekend, 27 said they favoured adding grades 10, 11 and 12 to Creighton Community School. Six respondents, or 13 per cent of those surveyed, opposed the idea, while the remaining 12 respondents were undecided. Many of those who favoured the concept felt that it would be more convenient to have a high school closer to home. Others felt Creighton Community School could serve the students as good or better than the Flin Flon School Division. Those who opposed the idea tended to believe that educational and/or social opportunities would be diminished for students on both sides of the border. Most respondents who were undecided felt they did not have enough information to reach a decision, and several said they look forward to attending a public forum on the matter. Here is a sampling of the comments from the respondents: "Creighton could serve the students every bit as well as Hapnot, and it makes sense to have Saskatchewan students follow a Saskatchewan school program. It makes financial sense." "Our son goes to Creighton School and it's just an excellent opportunity. I wish so much that we had that opportunity when I was younger." "All we would be doing would be moving teaching positions from Flin Flon to Creighton. We wouldn't really gain anything, and they've got everything set up at Hapnot." "I have two children and I want my kids to go to school in their community. Also, being around less children means less exposure to drugs and alcohol." "I just figure it would be better to keep all the children in the school with each other. It would save on transportation, and Creighton School is big enough for a high school." "I think it's good for the students to go to Hapnot because they meet new people." "Because of the low enrollment at Creighton School, the high school would fit right in." "Economically, we're better off with a high school." "I don't think there are enough students from Creighton and Denare Beach to have a high school. I can't see it being feasible." "Saskatchewan has a better education system (than Manitoba)." "When kids go up to Flin Flon, they have a hard time with that transition during the first year, the way I understand it." "I would think Creighton students would have more benefits if they still went to Hapnot and Many Faces." "A high school is a way of maintaining what we have. The whole school will shrink without a high school and the younger grades could suffer by having their programs cut." "I just feel it would be more beneficial to have one really good school than to have two schools that may not fulfill the needs of students. The taxes may also go up." "I like Creighton School, I like the atmosphere there." See 'Opinions' P.# Con't from P.# "The way I understand it, it would be cheaper (for the Creighton School Division) to go this way, so if it's cheaper for us, why not offer it here instead of having to bus kids to Flin Flon." "A high school would make it easier for the kids because it would be within walking distance, it would save gas money and they wouldn't have to get up early to catch the bus." "It's just handier to have a high school here." Background Creighton and Denare Beach students currently attend secondary school in Flin Flon at Hapnot Collegiate and Many Faces Education Centre. The Creighton School Division plans to hold a public meeting next month to discuss the high school concept with its ratepayers. Board Chair Terry Brown said a decision will be made by January 15 at the latest. If the board implements the new grades, grade 10 would begin in September of 2004, with grades 11 and 12 to following in 2005 and 2006 respectively. A task force assembled by the school division has released a report concluding that adding a full high school program is feasible and would save money. About 130 Creighton and Denare Beach students attend high school in Flin Flon, and the loss of those pupils would cost the Flin Flon School Division some $910,000 in annual funding. The Creighton School Division pays the Flin Flon side about $7,000 for each Saskatchewan student attending classes at Hapnot Collegiate (about 90 students) and Many Faces Education Centre (about 40 students). Flin Flon Superintendent of Schools Blaine Veitch has said that the loss of the students would reduce high school programming and staff in Flin Flon by 20-25 per cent.

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