e ngaging communities community ownership positive path forward for students

engaging communities community ownershippositive path forward for students a Pembina Hills Experience

Agenda • Introductions • Pembina Hills Regional Division - Overview • The Challenge • The Opportunity • The Process • Lessons Learned

Where is Pembina Hills?

Pembina Hills Regional Division - Overview • Public school services are provided through • Nineteen schools • Two of these are Hutterite Colonies • One offers an alternate public program focusing on a non-denominational Christian education. • Established Outreach Schools • Virtual School programs. • Alberta Distance Learning Centre (ADLC)

The Challenge: Declining Enrolment • Enrolment decline in the three community schools over the past decade • From a combined student population of 370 students to 213 • Enrolment decline was first addressed by the Board in 2010, when W.R. Frose School experienced a grade re-configuration from K-9 to K-8

5 Communities, 3 Schools, Close Proximity Chisholm Flatbush Fawcett Jarvie Dapp

The Opportunity the opportunity Historically, school closure processes have been: • Contentious • Confrontational (we/ they camps) • Winners & losers • Create friction among community members • Board & Superintendent are often “the bad guys”

The Opportunity New Path = New Outcome Board committed to conducting a community consultation process to explore future options which would: • address the problem • sustain & maximize educational opportunities for students

The Process….from community consultation to community engagement • Build public awareness • Provide opportunity for community feedback • Create a Task Force to explore & recommend a long range plan (preferred future) • Board decision • Create a Transition Team for preferred future • Develop a compelling Business Case

Step 1 – Build Public Awareness 2011: • Board met with School Council reps from three schools & Municipal Councillors to discuss student enrolment decline & to brainstorm ideas • Meeting resulted in developing the following filters for consideration: • Will it maximize educational opportunities for our children? • Will it be sustainable? • Does it utilize our limited resources in the best possible way for our children? • Is it realistic?

Step 2 – Provide Opportunity for Community Feedback Jan-Mar 2012 Worked with School Councils to develop a background information package for participants to review prior to community consultation sessions April 18, 2012 • Held two public consultation sessions • Facilitated by Alberta Community Development • Questions • Assigned Tables • Recorders (Administrative Assistants) • Facilitators (Administrators) • Outcomes

Step 2 – Provide Opportunity for Community Feedback April, 2012 • Westlock North Area Schools section created on PHRD website for public access to information • Website became the main portal of information for Stakeholders & the Board

Pembina Hills Website http://www.phrd.ab.ca/

Step 3 – Create Task Force May 2012 • Board formed ten member Task Force to: • research issue • seek clarification • provide a recommendation to the Board relative to a long-range plan for Westlock North • Process shifted from Community Consultation to Community Engagement

Task Force Members Task Force members included: • School Council representatives from each of the three schools • Community Representatives from each community • Chosen by Administrator and School Council Rep • A Principal from each school • A paid Independent Facilitator, interviewed by the Task Force & recommended to the Board

Task Force Alternatives • Nine alternatives were considered by the Task Force • 3 alternatives were short-listed • Scenario A • Scenario B • Scenario C

Task Force Alternatives Scenario A: Amalgamating Dapp and Jarvie in stage one and W.R. Frose with Dapp/Jarvie students in stage two Scenario B: Amalgamating Dapp and W.R. Frose in stage one (elementary students would go to Dapp and junior high students would go to Jarvie) and Jarvie in stage two (all students would go to a K-9 school in Dapp) and; Scenario C: Amalgamating W.R. Frose and Jarvie with Dapp and creating a “revisioned” regional K-9 school within the next three (3) years;

Task Force Recommendation Recommendation: “After considerable discussion, the Task Force reached a consensus minus one position (8 for, one against) for scenario C. The recommendation that the Task Force presents to the Board is that within three (3) years, all K-9 students in Westlock North be educated and housed in a “revisioned” regional Dapp School.”

What Helped the Task Force Come to a Recommendation? For Parents • Common school year and day • Long Term Stability of educational services in Westlock North • Will reduce the need to combine grades because of low student numbers but leaves the option open of combining for educational benefit. For Students • Enhanced Educational Opportunities • Long Term Sustainability • Improved Transportation ride times for most • More resources directed to the classroom • Potential to create a light house school by specializing in areas like Fine Arts/Sports/Religious Education etc.

Task Force Report January 2013 • Task Force presented report & recommendation to Board Task Force Report

Community Feedback Jan-Feb/13 • The Board invited community feedback on the Task Force Recommendation • Received 30 comments & provided responses to 101 questions http://docushare.phrd.ab.ca/dsweb/Get/Document-323403/Questions%20and%20Responses%20-%202013-02-15.pdf • Recommendation from the Task Force did not come without controversy from some members of the public

Community Feedback Q. Why are we considering closing schools when the division has a surplus of 6.1 million dollars? A. Given the declining enrollment in the Westlock North Schools the Board wanted to explore a proactive approach prior to having to consider school closure. Reserves are not a long term solution to enrollment decline. Reserves are not sustainable – once the funds are spent there is no ability to replenish the funds

Community Feedback Q. If we are thinking of bussing students from the south to the one school Dapp for a lighthouse school, why can we not bus them (from the) south to Jarvie and Fawcett also? A. This is possible, however the issue is declining enrollments. The combined student population is 216 students. The combined capacity of the three (3) schools is 541 students. There are not enough student numbers in Westlock North to warrant three (3) lighthouse schools.

Community Feedback Q. Does the board value rural education? Closing our schools is a FINAL DECISION! The consequences cannot be reversed, it will only be a matter of time before the communities disintegrate. What will Encourage young families to move into the FEEDER areas (Fawcett & Jarvie), without a school? Consequences for communities if they lose their school include: property value decline, loss of community resources, devaluing of the overall community, COUNTY cancelling future projects (Westlock water), and community shrinkage through attrition affecting our fire departments and other volunteer organizations, business closures and more. If Pembina Hills truly cared about the students, they would care about the communities they live in. The students and their communities are interconnected. If the feeding areas shrink ultimately our one (1) school left will suffer and the FATE LONG TERM will be CLOSURE FOR DAPP School resulting in NO Westlock Northern Schools

Community Feedback A. Yes, the Board does value rural education and educating students in rural communities. Declining student population is a serious reality that the Board, parents, students and communities need to address. Although there are varying opinions on solutions, there appears to be consensus on one thing – status quo is not an option. Economic development would encourage young families to move into rural communities, and while the Board is willing to work with its municipal partners, this responsibility is beyond their mandate.

Step 4 - Board Decision February 27, 2013 The Board made a decision to move forward with the long range plan • Dapp School designated as an elementary & junior high school effective Sept 1/14, subject to adequate learning spaces to accommodate students from Westlock North

Step 5 – Create a Transition Team February 2013 The Board established an eleven member Westlock North Transition Team for the purposes of providing advice to the Board regarding educational services for the Westlock North School.

School Visioning Process

Step 5 – Create a Transition Team April 2013 Student / Staff/Community information gathering activities provided critical information such as: • Perspective from students • Community values • Preferences relative to school programs

Step 5 – Create a Transition Team April 2013 to Present Transition Team continues to meet to lead the planning process, using the information gathered, to refine the vision & to plan the school program

Step 5 – Create a Transition Team May 2013 Board identified the addition of modular classrooms & modernization at Dapp School as the #1 priority in their 3-year Capital Plan June 2013 • Board adopted name for the new school – ‘Pembina North Community School’ • Established the grade offerings as K-9 ( as recommended by the Transition Team) • Motto for Pembina North Community School: ‘United We Achieve Excellence’

Step 6 – Develop a Compelling Business Case Demonstrate that the project: • is sound, both educationally & economically (payback period) • is relevant • utilizes resources efficiently & demonstrates the tenets of Inspiring Education • aligns with the Province’s vision to keep building Alberta & live within its means • scope will serve the educational needs for the next 50 years • commitment from the community to support the project

Step 6 – Develop a Compelling Business Case Meetings with Alberta Education • Consistent communication throughout the process • Summer of 2013 • PHRD met with Alberta Education, Capital Planning to discuss the Business Case for Pembina North Community School • Aug-Sept 2013 • Alberta Education, Capital Planning & Alberta Infrastructure conduct a site visit & draft a project description

Pembina North Community School “The Journey”

Engaging the Community – Did it Make a Difference? • NO • YES • Engaging Communities • Community Ownership • Communities have come together to build a new school • New Outcome = • Will it maximize educational opportunities for our children? • Will it be sustainable? • Does it utilize our limited resources in the best possible way for our children? • Is it realistic? • Tough Conversations • Controversial Moments

Did Community Engagement make a difference?

Lessons Learned • Think differently • Community Engagement is not a one-shot wonder – it is embedded throughout the process • Take the time to plan for a different outcome • Be open to what that outcome might be • Realize that people may not understand (or agree) with the urgency & may work hard to divert the issue (ie) ‘not in my backyard’ • Define the filters of consideration and stick to them • Will it maximize educational opportunities for our children? • Will it be sustainable? • Does it utilize our limited resources in the best possible way for our children? • Is it realistic?

Lessons Learned • Be honest & genuine every step of the way, focusing on the problem, based on the data, & providing everyone with the same information • Ensure consistent communications to all communities & media • Work hard to help people understand the urgency of the problem, based on data • If you ask the community to be engaged and ask them for their voice, you need to hear the voice & consider that voice in your deliberations

Lessons Learned • Learn from others • Suzanne Lundrigan, Director, Communications, ASBA is an excellent resource • Networking with other Jurisdictions • Get advice from the experts & allow the community to hear directly from the experts • Facility audits • Architects • Capital Planning & Alberta Infrastructure staff • Division staff

e ngaging communities community ownership positive path forward for students