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.
With or without the possible loss of students to Creighton Community School, the Flin Flon School Division projects a major enrollment decline in the coming years. Based on the birth rate for its catchment area, the division expects to lose 108 students at the elementary and junior high levels by the 2007-08 school year. "What it will mean is that it will be more difficult for schools to provide non-classroom services such as counselling, resource teachers and administrators," said Superintendent Blaine Veitch, "and still maintain small class sizes and minimize split-grade classes." The superintendent said that the school board has reviewed a number scenarios, not yet ready for public release, to deal with the decline. He said those concepts will be publicly discussed once the Creighton School Board decides whether to establish its own high school, a move that would have serious implications on the Flin Flon school system. "Once the Creighton board makes their decision, we will begin a process with parents, school administrators and school staff to discuss these scenarios and the benefits and disadvantages of each," said the superintendent. Veitch mentioned that the elementary schools have a staff-student ratio of 14.5 to one. The loss of 108 students could therefore mean the elimination of 7.5 positions across the division. There are currently 833 students enrolled at McIsaac School Ecole McIsaac, Parkdale School and Ruth Betts School. A decline of 108 pupils would represent a drop of 13 per cent of this student body. The division projects it will lose 22 elementary and junior high level students by 2004-05; another 45 by 2005-06; three by 2006-07; and 38 by 2007-08. The figures are based on the assumption that children born in the division's catchment area will remain in the community and attend public school. The actual result could be more severe. The projected figures didn't totally surprise Veitch, as the division has faced a fairly steady decline of students in recent years. "When you look five years ahead and you add all the years together and see the total impact, it opens your eyes to some of the issues that we're going to have to deal with," he said. High school There is more positive projections at the high school level over the next four years. If the Creighton School Board continues to send high schoolers to Flin Flon, enrollment at Hapnot Collegiate and Many Faces Education Centre are projected to remain the same or slightly increase. However, if the Creighton board opts to establish its own high school at Creighton Community School, the Flin Flin division projects a loss of 29 high school students by the 2007-08 school year.
