Today, at the regularly scheduled Board meeting, the Elk Island Public Schools Board of Trustees received a report detailing the Division’s public engagement plans over the next three years. EIPS wanted to share the plan with school families as well.
The plan, entitled EIPS Three-Year Engagement Strategy, identifies areas the Division can improve operations to best serve students—including programming and school capacity considerations. Before making any decisions on these issues, the Division will engage school families and the community to ensure the best possible solution. In total, there are four public engagement projects included in the plan:
Project 1: Three-Year Strathcona County Engagement
Over the next three years, EIPS will engage the public about school capacities and boundaries in the Strathcona Country area, system programming transitions, and ways to enhance the junior high and senior high French Immersion programming.
Project 2: Enrolment Pressure at James Mowat Elementary
Enrolment projections for James Mowat Elementary indicate it will reach capacity in 2022-23 despite the addition of one modular classroom. James Mowat Elementary is the designated receiving school for the West Park neighbourhood in Fort Saskatchewan. The Division anticipates the high enrolment to continue at the school as West Park develops, and new families move in.
Project 3: EIPS Logos Christian Program Review
For the past several years, enrolment in the EIPS Logos Christian Program at the elementary level has declined. Low enrolment means it’s challenging to offer fulsome Logos programming at both elementary schools, where it’s currently offered. As such, administration will enter into conversations with school families about consolidating the two elementary Logos programs at one school. It will also discuss the low subscription of the Logos junior high program.
Project 4: Value Scoping Session for A.L. Horton Elementary and Vegreville Composite High
There are currently two schools in Vegreville, providing kindergarten to Grade 12 education to students in the town and surrounding rural area. Currently, neither school is near capacity, and the combined maintenance costs are significant. EIPS will host a value scoping session with community stakeholders to help determine a solution that meets the community’s needs.
For each of these projects, EIPS will invite school families and key community stakeholders to participate in the process. Public engagement sessions will be held to share information about the challenges faced by the Division and gather feedback to inform the recommendation going forward to the Board for their consideration. All decisions made will be in the best educational interests of the students in the area. As always, the priority is to ensure students have access to high-quality academic programming regardless of where they reside.
EIPS invites you to read the report that came forward to the Board of Trustees for more details on each project. In the months ahead, the Division will reach out with information about dates and times of specific engagement sessions and will keep stakeholders updated as each process moves forward.