Wednesday, January 29, 2020 Vol. 43, No. 5
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YOUR LOCAL PAPER
BRSD considers school closures, consolidations affecting Holden and Ryley Patricia Harcourt Editor
A New Year's baby was born at the Viking Health Centre at 5:09 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 3, to parents Sandra Fasek and William Slater of Ranfurly. The attending physician was Dr. Manie Potgieter. The baby boy, named Ryker William Slater, weighed in at eight pounds, six ounces. The mother and baby were presented gifts from the Viking Health Centre Auxiliary including a Teddy Bear, T-Shirt, Bonnet, sweater set, and two large diaper packets. Making the presentation to mother and baby (seated in front) are, standing from left: Auxiliary member Dorothy White, LPN Bernadette McDonald, Auxiliary member Helen Petruk, LPN Brooke Sullivan, Auxiliary member Karen Cumming, and Auxiliary member Jeanne Congdon. PATRICIA HARCOURT PHOTO.
Battle River School Board passed several motions Jan. 23 that will set in place a process to consider closure and consolidation of schools in Ryley, Holden, Round Hill, and Hardisty. At the moment, junior/senior high school students from Holden and area are bussed to Ryley, a Grade 7-12 school, and elementary students from Ryley attend the Grade 1-6 school at Holden. The board is considering relocating the Grade 1012 students at Ryley but haven't specified where they would go. The Grade 1-9 students at both schools would then be consolidated on one school site, which potentially could be either at Holden or Ryley. The board did not state which school would be chosen for that purpose and which would be closed. However, BRSD's Director of Communications Diane Hutchinson offered some clarification. "It means the board is considering consolidating Holden and Ryley into one K to 9 site, but they have not yet determined which site it would be," she said. "Now that the idea has been brought forward for consideration, there will be a review of information about each of the Holden and Ryley school sites building condition, lie expectancy for infrastructure (roof, boilers, etc.) - that will help determine which would be the better choice." The board is blaming provincial budget cuts creating "challenges," plus declining school populations. Holden School enrolment has been dropping over the past three years. As of Sept. 30, 2017, there were 137 students from Kindergarten to Grade 6, and a total of 136 in 2018. Last year's enrolment figures in 2019 were 118, down 18 students in one short year. Ryley School enrolment has dropped slightly, from 98 in 2017 and 2018, to 92 as of last September. Of these respectively, there were 52 high school students in 2017, dropping to 44 in 2018 and 35 in 2019. “The high school number for the second semester this school year is expected to be 30 students," said Hutchinson. See SCHOOLS P15
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Viking Jr. High Vixens win consolation championship
ADVERTISE! The Junior High Viking Vixens basketball team had a fun and successful weekend attending the Mid-Season Shootout tournament at Ryley. They won the Consolation Championship after a 56-36 victory over Round Hill. PHOTO SUBMITTED
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The Weekly Review, Wednesday, January 29, 2020 - Page 3