BARRHEAD - The Pembina Hills School Division is floating the possibility of turning Dunstable School into an agricultural hub.
That is what Pembina Hills School Division (PHSD) trustee West-Ward 1 trustee Victoria Kane told County of Barrhead councillors during their Jan. 7 meeting.
"We are looking at potentially turning Dunstable into an agricultural school," she said.
Kane, along with PHSD board chair David Truckey, vice-chair Judy Lefebvre, and secretary-treasurer Heather Nanninga, attended the council meeting to give councillors an update on the division and discuss areas where the school board and the municipality could work together.
Kane said the board was discussing offering the specialized program at the Kindergarten to Grade 6 school to help bolster its enrolment, which currently stands at 48 full-time students, not including its early-learning program, which, if included, increases to 56 to 58.
Nanninga interjected that students would still have the option of enrolling in the traditional program, saying the school would offer the alternative agricultural stream in the same way Barrhead and Westlock Elementary students have the option of French immersion.
Coun. Walter Preugschas asked if the program would include a modified working farm.
Lefebvre responded yes, adding that although the division is still investigating what the program would look like if it goes forward, she envisions the school having farm animals such as chickens, sheep, cows, and garden areas.
Preugschas also asked if PHSD would bus students from outside the school's catchment area, similar to what is done for Neerlandia Public Christian School (NPCS) if the agricultural program went ahead.
Lefebvre said most likely yes, assuming there was enough interest to make it viable.
Deputy reeve Marvin Schatz asked about Dunstable School's capacity.
Nanninga said the school had room for growth, estimating its capacity at about 80 students.
Flybys and speeding
Truckey said that flybys continue to be an issue in the division, especially in the Barrhead area, with 85 flybys reported in the 2023-2024 school year.
"That is despite spending more and more money every year on infrastructure, such as cameras and control arms, and all the recording we can do," he said.
A flyby occurs when a school bus is parked to allow schoolchildren to get on or off. An approaching motorist then flies by the bus even though it is illegal when the overhead alternating red lights are flashing.
Kane added that speeding through school zones, especially on Highway 651 past Dunstable School, continues to be an issue and asked the county if there were any initiatives they could take to help combat the problem.
She suggested the municipality partner with the school's parent council in a letter-writing campaign.
"I know there have been other school divisions that have partnered with [municipal councils], and their communities have been successful at reducing the speed limits [surrounding schools to 70 km/h from 100 km/h] and not just in Rich Valley," Kane said.
Kane is referring to two solar-powered electronic signs on Highway 33 on either side of Rich Valley Elementary School, which reduce the speed from 100 km/h to 70 km/h during school hours.
County manager Debbie Oyaruzun said in response to a request from Dunstable School, their community peace officer, Shae Guy, often patrols the area and has handed out several speeding violation warnings and tickets to reduce the amount of speeding.
Later in the meeting, Guy said he had repeatedly asked Alberta Transportation to improve the highway school zone signage.
"[Alberta Transportation] indicated that they were unwilling to change it as it met their standards," he said, adding it is a position they haven't moved away from.
Guy agreed that Alberta Transportation needs to improve its Dunstable signage, including adding school zone times. But, he suggested that the solar-powered signs they have in Rich Valley are not the way to go.
"I'm not sure about what type of approval process took place to get that done, but the Alberta Sheriffs have told me that it is not enforceable, and they do not conduct any enforcement in that school zone because it does not meet Alberta Transportation's standards," he said.
Enrolment trends
Like most rural school divisions, Truckey said, PHSD student enrolment numbers have steadily decreased.
"When the Barrhead, Swan Hills, and Westlock school divisions amalgamated in 1995, we were operating at about 5,000 students," he said.
However, Truckey said in recent years, enrolment has stabilized to about 3,500.
He said despite the downward trend in student enrolment, two of the division's schools, NPCS, Busby, and Eleanor Hall School in Clyde, are at or past capacity and are looking to augment their capacities with the addition of portables.
Barrhead Composite High School (BCHS)
In March 2023, the province announced that the BCHS modernization and right-sizing project for Pembina Hills received approval for design funding as part of a list of 58 education-related capital projects within Budget 2023.
"It is our Number One priority and the most expensive," Truckey said. "What started as a $29 million project is now up to $38 million, and while that is a concern, Alberta Infrastructure and Alberta Education are looking after that."
However, he said, the division has put a lot of "its own skin" into the project.
Regrettably, due to the school's right-sizing, BCHS will lose one of its gymnasiums. To help compensate for the loss, Truckey said PHSD will subsidize the construction of its largest gym by $1.5 million.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
