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Lloydminister Public School Division

780-875-5541 Fax: 780-875-7829

5017 46 Street
Lloydminster, Alberta T9V 1R4

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Policy 15

SCHOOL CLOSURE/GRADE DISCONTINUANCE

The Lloydminster Public School Division Board of Education is committed to making the best use of its resources to ensure the most positive educational outcomes for all students.  

If requested by the Board, the director of education shall conduct a review of any school facility within the school division.  The review may provide options with respect to possible attendance area consolidation and school closure for the efficient accommodation of students and the provision of quality education in the short and long term.

  1. A review may be necessary in circumstances where the Board is concerned that:
    1. due to rapidly declining enrolments, the quality of education is deteriorating.
    2. due to rapidly declining enrolments, the operating costs to the school division are excessive.
    3. due to the deterioration of the physical plant, the safety of the children may be compromised.
    4. the costs of repairing and maintaining the plant is excessive; or,
    5. due to budgetary constraints, cost saving measures must be considered.
  2. The Board shall advise the school staff and the School Community Council(s) of the study being undertaken and begin the consultation process.  The School Community Council, parent/guardian committees, and other interested parties shall be afforded opportunity for consultation with the Board.  This process will be concluded prior to the end of November.
  3. The factors that may be considered in any report on the future use of a school, but are not limited to are:
    1. projected enrolments over a five-year period;
    2. physical condition of the school plant and the extent to which it complies with fire and safety regulations;
    3. capital costs required to upgrade the plant;
    4. operating costs of the school;
    5. relocation of the students; and the human, physical, and fiscal costs of such relocation;
    6. the effect of closure on the neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods;
    7. transfer and effective use of staff.
  4. The Director’s report and data from the consultation process will be presented and reviewed by the Board no later than the December Board meeting.
  5. Upon conclusion of the consultation process, the Board shall, no later than January 15, make its decision with respect to any consolidation of attendance areas and school closures.
  6. Should the Board resolve that consolidation of attendance areas and closure of one or more schools is to take place, the Director shall:
    1. Implement procedures for publicizing the Board's decisions and making information available to parties who would be directly affected by the closure(s);
    2. Prepare plans for the disposition of equipment and materials located in schools cited for closure;
    3. Identify options for Board consideration with respect to the disposition of the buildings and grounds occupied by schools cited for closure; and
    4. Notify the appropriate officials with the City of Lloydminster and in the Ministry of Education in both Saskatchewan and Alberta.
  7. Notwithstanding the process described above, a school may also be closed if:
    1. A petition is received from parents/guardians representing a majority of the students enrolled in the school, requesting that its attendance area be combined with that of a nearby school or schools; or
    2. An unexpected decline in enrolment makes its continued operation impractical.

 

Legal Reference: The Education Act, 1995, Section 87(1)w

Adopted: June 2007
Reviewed: August 30, 2023