Sask. town fears school closure could mean bleak future for community
![Arborfield school The North East School Division (NESD) is reviewing the Arborfield school and considering whether to keep it open or close it. (https://arborfield.nesd.ca/)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2023/2/3/arborfield-school-1-6259058-1675450304790.jpg)
Residents in a Saskatchewan town fear the closure of Grades 7 to 12 at the local school may be a setback the community won't be able to recover from.
The town of Arborfield, located about 265 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, filed for a court injunction in August, after parents learned in February the North East School Division was planning on closing classrooms in its school.
In affidavits to King’s Bench Judge John Morrall, residents of Arborfield, Sask. shared concerns about how the North East School Division’s cuts would affect their livelihoods.
Some were concerned it would be harder to attract people to work and live in the town if it “does not have a school.”
Water treatment plant operator Ryan Thompson was worried a loss of population in the town could threaten his job.
An employee at the Arborfield Co-op said the loss of older students buying food at lunch would also have an impact on their business.
The division’s Director of Education Stacey Lair cited the condition of the school and low enrollment projections as part of the reason for the move.
In her affidavit, Lair said Arborfield School had the second-highest number of maintenance requests in the division, and only 26 students projected to attend Grades 7 to 12 in 2023 – 24, with only one student in the graduating class.
“With these low numbers, it would not be feasible to provide some important educational, social and extracurricular opportunities to students,” Morrall writes in his summary of Lair’s statement.
“Arborfield School has only been able to offer 13 of the 24 high school courses needed to graduate, with students having to take many high school courses online,” Morrall said.
Lair told the court students would be in triple-graded classrooms, which would have lead to a lower quality of instruction compared to the single-grade classrooms in Carrot River.
The division also argued the application for an injunction was too late in the game. They said it would have a disruptive effect on students and families, since transition meetings had already been held and teachers would have to be reassigned.
In a lengthy decision published online, Morrall lamented the decision he was asked to make.
“Unfortunately, for various reasons, this has not been the first such application faced by the court over many long years to stop a school in rural Saskatchewan from closing or offering fewer grades, and this will not be the last,” he said.
Arborfield Mayor Chet Edwards told CTV News the community is thankful they held onto the elementary classes. He says they’re still fighting to keep the school alive.
“This isn't what we want. We want our school here. And I mean, it's been a battle for us all along. But we're not done. We'll keep battling along,” he said in a phone interview on Friday.
Edwards said he feels the division had made up its mind about Arborfield School and communication has broken down.
“They didn’t have enough numbers in Carrot River to sustain the size of school that they were building there so they were going to squash Arborfield School to get their numbers,” said Edwards.
He said it seems like Arborfield is subject to different rules than other schools in the region.
“We're really getting squeezed hard by the board. The board has got a very negative attitude towards the community and school … We've been trying to work with the board the best we can but we're to a point where they will not meet and discuss anything with us,” he said.
The North East School Division told CTV News on Monday it could not comment on the situation with the community of Arborfield School because there were still matters before the courts.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6977485.1721935249!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
LIVE UPDATES Rain reduces wildfire activity, aids firefighters: Jasper park officials
Jasper National Park officials said Thursday night that rain over the day resulted in "minimal fire behaviour and spread."
Canadian Olympic Committee removes women's soccer team's head coach over drone scandal
The Canadian Olympic Committee has removed women's national soccer team head coach Bev Priestman over a drone scandal, according to a press release from the organization.
Yukon woman narrowly escapes bear attack, credits hair clip
A woman in Yukon believes her hair clip helped save her during a bear attack.
Prince William's 2023 salary revealed in new report
Newly released financial reports show that William, the Prince of Wales, drew a salary of $42.1 million last fiscal year, his first since inheriting the vast and lucrative Duchy of Cornwall.
'I was just shocked': Jasper lodge owner on seeing property destroyed by wildfire
On Wednesday night, the owner of Maligne Lodge in Jasper, Alta., was shocked to receive a photo of her business engulfed in flames.
Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond likely has Indigenous DNA: report
The Law Society of British Columbia says a DNA test shows a former judge and Order of Canada recipient accused of falsely claiming to be Cree "most likely" has Indigenous heritage.
U.S. authorities have arrested 'El Mayo' Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel
Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of another infamous cartel leader, were arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas on Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department said.
Harris pushes Netanyahu to ease suffering in Gaza: 'I will not be silent'
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to help reach a Gaza ceasefire deal that would ease the suffering of Palestinian civilians, striking a tougher tone than President Joe Biden.
'She led it the whole way': 18-year-old B.C. woman leads hikers to safety in Jasper National Park
As fire threatened people in Jasper National Park, Colleen Knull sprung into action.