Beaverlodge & District News Report: Storm Brewing At Valhalla Pt 2

Sorry to take so long with typing the second half of Don Sylvester's article. Here it is, explaining the injustice to the kids at Horse Lake and the German language program:

The Hythe situation is complicated by the fact that the approximately 130 First Nation students from Horse Lake are not counted in the Hythe numbers because they are supported by the federal government. If those students were counted the Hythe school would be deemed full according to the government formula.

Given that scenario, Valhalla would be deemed a "small school by necessity" and the $87,000 clawback would not apply.

Along with that, the Valhalla Parent Council has done an up-to-date survey of local families and found that there are 48 children 4 years of age or younger, rather than the 24 counted in the 2006 county census.

They also have proposed starting a German language program which would draw some17 to 20 Mennonite children now being home schooled.

Adding those students would bring next year's projected enrollment at Valhalla to 65, which would put it a 69 per cent of capacity and should take it off the "too small" list.

"We think they've stopped maintaining the school for some years now to make the decision inevitable," says Valhalla parent Diane Harpe. "Our feeling is PWSB would just as soon send the funds elsewhere in the Division, and that's just wrong.

"Our community is growing; we have a community committed to fundraising to improve the school. Our population growth is in the top three in this area according to the latest census.

"To close our school we'd have to put our children in already over-crowded schools in Hythe or La Glace. The bottom line," she says, "is we know we can keep our school open. There is a will in the community. But the school division is not only ignoring our pleas, they're using loopholes to close our school to serve their own purposes."

Part 1 here.