The Community
Press
0 202 TURE UL ION C I T R EC ! AG S E D 2N NSID I Wednesday, March 25, 2020 Volume 112, Issue 38
Telling your story
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BRSD votes to close Hardisty School Leslie Cholowsky Editor
Battle River School Division Board trustees voted on Thursday, March 19, on three motions for closure; affecting Round Hill School, Ryley and Holden Schools, and Allan Johnstone School. The final result of the vote was for Round Hill School to remain open; for Ryley and Holden to consolidate into one school with Grades K through 9, closing the High School, and moving everything into the Ryley site, closing Holden School; and for Allan Johnstone School in Hardisty to close, effective June 30. Since the division office was closed to the public due to the pandemic, the meeting was streamed live via YouTube. Trustees had an opportunity to speak briefly prior to each vote, some chose to address each decision separately, while others indicated a desire to speak once to all three votes. Laurie Skori from Flagstaff County East said, “This decision is that of the Board of Trustees and ours alone,” adding that it was administration’s job to provide the information necessary to make a decision, and that in her eyes, administration works tirelessly for students and staff in the division. She said she was bothered greatly by negative remarks against the division’s administrative staff. She also noted she had been one of those pushing for
using reserves to keep the budget balanced, and expressed her “deep disappointment” in the behaviour at some of the smaller schools, who she said were unappreciative of past efforts to keep them open. Beaver East trustee Zsuzsanna Hemperger spoke before the Round Hill vote. She thanked the public for all the presentations submitted to the board, and division staff for all their work, as well as her fellow trustees. “These are hard decisions; we all have lost sleep over them.” She implored parents, students, and communities to believe in the division, and to keep their children in BRSD schools. “I ask you to trust us; to have faith in local teachers and their abilities in being able to handle what comes next, and I’m asking you to do the same.” Kendall Severson, Trustee for Camrose County South said, “The decisions that we have to make today are huge and will impact many families. I myself have not been sleeping well as this weighs heavily on me. I would like to thank all the communities for their creative presentations and the time that has been invested into creative new ways to educate kids. “As the longest-serving member on this board, I have had to take part in several of these closure meetings over the years and none are ever easy. “Regardless of the way votes go today, our students are resilient, and will continue to have success in the years ahead.”
Jeff Kimball, from Flagstaff County West, said his thoughts echo those of his fellow trustees, thanking all communities for their presentations; in their uniting and bringing these communities to the forefront in showing their solidarity. “None of this is easy, by no means, whatever decision is made today, there will always be consequences to that. I look at our mission statement as a school board/division, we are supposed to work in cooperation with our communities to support students for long learning and contributing member of society.” Karen Belich, Camrose County North, said, “We are all aware of the declining number of students in communities all across Alberta and Canada.” She spoke about how she had reviewed all the information brought forward from both the division and the community presentations, as well as results of the Thought Exchange survey done by the division, and all other correspondence regarding the motions. “I reviewed all of it thoroughly and in doing so there have been many things to consider. These are extremely difficult decisions to make but I do believe that it is our responsibility to do so.” Board Chair Norm Erickson praised all the communities for their positive presentations. “Our mandate in the BRSD is to make sure all students are giving the opportunities to receive a complete See AJS P5
RCMP asking for help regarding Hardisty theft On Sunday, March 22, Hardisty A-1 Local Rentals business was a victim of property crime. Four or five suspects, one of which was a female, stole diesel and a Flagro trailer unit heater valued at $45,000. Three vehicles were involved in the events that took place between 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 22, and 5:30 a.m. on Monday, March 23. The first was a blue Dodge Ram, stolen from Edmonton and recovered behind the business. The second is an older grey minivan, possibly a Dodge, and the third vehicle is a white truck which was used to tow the trailer. Killam RCMP is requesting the help of the public in identifying the suspects, locating the suspect vehicles, stolen trailer, and providing any information that may help with the investigation. If you have any information about any criminal activity or any of the circumstances described here, please call the Killam RCMP at 780-385-3509. You may also choose to submit a tip with Crime stoppers at canadiancrimestoppers.org or by calling 1-800-2228477. Left: One of the vehicles involved is a grey or silver mini van. Above: The stolen truck hooking up to the trailer. Right: The individual who cut the lock on the hitch.