The closure of Yahk Elementary School is being recommended by administrative staff of Kootenay Lake School District.
Although there are only three students attending classes currently, Superintendent of Schools Jeff Jones is recommending a “temporary closure” for September 2016, when no students are projected to attend the struggling school.
The Canyon-Lister Elementary School catchment will be expanded to include Yahk if the School Board adopts the recommendation to close the small rural school. No additional costs will be incurred to transport students to Canyon, Jones said, because the school district is already required to provide bus transportation for grade 8-12 students.
In his report, Jones addresses a number of considerations that district policy outlines when a school is considered for closure. Under the category Potential Parental and Local Community Support, he writes, “The local community relies on the presence of a public school as an attractor for individuals, and to support the economic plan of the community. Given that the school enrolment is presently 3, and projected to be zero for 2016/2017, it is assumed that parents of students living in Yahk have tolerance for transporting their children to Creston or Canyon/Lister because some parents from Yahk have already been sending their children to schools outside of the Yahk Elementary School catchment area, seeking more breadth and opportunities for their children.”
With an enrolment of only 3 students, Jones said, “Students from Yahk would benefit from being members of a larger school community, with a greater breadth of programming and learning supports.”
That benefit comes at a cost, however.
“However, it should be noted that longer-than-preferred bus routes to transport the children to school would be required.”
Strangely, closing the school will actually not save money for Kootenay Lake District in the short term.
The report outlines savings of $15,600 for custodial services, $15,346 for clerical services, $78,042 for administration/vice principal, $2,600 for telephone and supplies and $2,258 for utilities. However, a loss of $172,620 from provincial Small Community Supplement Funding means there will be a net annual cost to close the school of $56,516.
“Although there is an annual on-going cost to close the school, the District would divest itself of $491,866 future deferred maintenance costs. The closure of Yahk and movement of students to Canyon Lister will not impact the capital plan in that no new or renovated space will be required.”
Yahk Elementary School faced a closure threat in 2011 but a flurry of enrolments brought the student population up to a total of 18 for 2011-12. Enrolment has been on the decline since that time.