Attendance Area Review
April 27 School board makes 17 changes to attendance areas
Following a six-month review, which included consulting with parents and communities at three junctures, the school board made 17 changes to the division’s attendance areas. These changes come into effect on August 31, 2016.
Of the 18 proposed changes:
- one did not proceed:
- moving area south of George Lake from the Busby attendance area to the Dunstable attendance area
- three were amended:
- moving area from the Barrhead attendance area to the Neerlandia attendance area
- moving area from the Westlock attendance area to the Pembina North attendance area
- moving area from the Eleanor Hall attendance area to the Pembina North attendance area
- 14 were passed as proposed
To ease the transition to the new attendance areas, the school board made exceptions for these students:
- Current Grade 7 and 8 students, who live in the expanded Fort Assiniboine attendance area, may finish Jr. High at Barrhead Composite High School (BCHS). They will be able to ride the transfer bus from Fort Assiniboine School to BCHS for free.
- A current Grade 5 student, who lives in the expanded Dunstable attendance area, may finish elementary school at Ecole Barrhead Elementary School (BES). This student will be able to ride the transfer bus from Dunstable School to BES for free.
- Current Grade 7 and 8 students, who live in the expanded Pembina North attendance area who attend R.F. Staples or St. Mary School may access the transfer bus from PNCS in order to finish Jr. High at their current school. Students living in what was formerly the Westlock attendance area may ride the transfer bus from Pembina North Community School for free. Students living in what was formerly the Eleanor Hall attendance area may ride the transfer bus at a cost. The fee is $450/year.
The school board also:
- asked administration to research the cost of running dual buses (one bus running to Neerlandia and another running to Barrhead) in the Barrhead attendance area south of the new Neerlandia boundary. Note: Students in the Neerlandia attendance area may choose to attend either Neerlandia Public Christian School or a regular program in Barrhead. Administration will report back to the school board on June 8.
- urged administration to minimize “back-tracking” for students who travel to school on transfer buses.
Next steps will see division administration review the rules for busing students who choose to attend an out-of-attendance-area school. Administration will present the administrative procedure in this regard at the May 25 board meeting.
Busby
Expand the Busby attendance area as follows:
- Add the area north of George Lake to the Busby attendance area. This area is currently in the Dunstable attendance area.
This affects these land locations:
57-1-W5: E34
58-1-W5: E3, E10, E15, E22, SE27
Guiding principles: Transportation efficiency, Community input, Viability of schools - Extend Busby’s eastern boundary to Highway 2. This area is currently in the Eleanor Hall attendance area.
This affects these land locations:
58-26-W4: E11, 12, 13, E14, E23, 24, 25, E26, SE35, S36
58-25-W4: 7, 8, 17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 30, S31, S32
Guiding principles: Transportation efficiency, Community input, Viability of schools
Dunstable
Expand the Dunstable attendance area as follows:
- Add the area south of the Pembina River along the western boundary to the Dunstable attendance area. Currently this area is in the Barrhead attendance area.
This affects these land locations:
58-3-W5: W2, 3, E4, SW4, S5, SE6, E9, W10, SW11 (area south of river)
57-3-W5: W36
Guiding principles: Viability of schools, Community input, Natural geographic boundary, Density of population, Transportation efficiency - Add the area east of the Pembina River along the northern boundary to the Dunstable attendance area. Currently this area is in the Barrhead attendance area.
This affects these land locations:
58-2-W5: N31, N32, N33, N34, N35, NW36
58-3-W5: NE36
59-2-W5: SW1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6
59-3-W5: SE1
Guiding principles: Viability of schools, Density of population, Transportation efficiency
Note: A current Grade 5 student, who lives in the expanded Dunstable attendance area, may finish elementary school at Ecole Barrhead Elementary School (BES). This student will be able to ride the transfer bus from Dunstable School to BES for free.
Fort Assiniboine
Expand the Fort Assiniboine attendance area as follows:
- Extend the Fort Assiniboine attendance area south of the Athabasca River. This area is currently part of the Barrhead attendance area.
This affects these land locations:
61-4-W5: NW5, N6, 7, W8, W17, 18, 19, W20, W29, 30, 31, W32
62-4-W5: W5, 6, 7
61-5-W5: N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, S33, 34, 35, 36 (south of river)
61-6-W5: N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, SE32, W33, S33, 35, 36 (south of river)
61-7-W5: N1, N2, N3, N4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, S15, S23, E23, 24, 25, E26, N26, SE34, S35, W36, S36 (areas south and east of river)
Guiding principles: Viability of schools, Community input, Natural geographic boundary, Density of population
Note: Current Grade 7 and 8 students, who live in the expanded Fort Assiniboine attendance area, may finish Jr. High at Barrhead Composite High School (BCHS). They will be able to ride the transfer bus from Fort Assiniboine School to BCHS for free.
Neerlandia
Expand the Neerlandia attendance area as follows:
- Extend the Neerlandia attendance area to the south and east. The area to be added to the Neerlandia attendance area includes parts of the Barrhead, Westlock and Pembina North attendance areas.
This affects these land locations:Moving from Barrhead to Neerlandia
61-4-W5: NE10, N11, N12, 14, E15, NW15, N16, NE17, SE20, S21, S22, SW23
60-3-W5: N31, N32, N33, N34, N35, N36
61-3-W5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, S7, S8, S9, S10, S11, S12
60-2-W5: N31, N32, N33, NW34
61-2-W5: 6, S7
Guiding principles: Viability of schools, Community input, Transportation efficiencyMoving from Pembina North to Neerlandia
61-2-W5: NW15, N16, N17, 20, 21, W22, W27, 28, 29, 32, 33, W34
62-2-W5: W3, 4, 5, 8, 9, W10, W15, 16, 17, 20, W21, SE21, SW22, W28, 29, 32, W33
Guiding principles: Viability of schools, Community input, Transportation efficiencyMoving from Westlock to Neerlandia
61-2-W5: W3, 4, 5, 8, 9, W10, SW15, S16, S17
Guiding principles: Viability of schools, Community input, Transportation efficiency
Note: The school board asked administration to research the cost of running dual buses (one bus running to Neerlandia and another running to Barrhead) in the area described below. Administration will report back to the school board on June 8. Students in the Neerlandia attendance area may attend either Neerlandia Public Christian School or a regular program in Barrhead.
61-4-W5: 1, 2, E3, SE10, S11, S12
60-4-W5: E22, 23, 24, 25, 26, E27, E34, 35, 36
60-3-W5: 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, S31, S32, S33, S34, S35, S36
60-2-W5: 19, 20, 21, W22, W27, 28, 29, 30, S31, S32, S33, SW34
The school board considered creating a dual transportation zone at its June 8 meeting.
The school board decided not to establish a dual transportation zone. See page 2987-2988 of the minutes for more information.
Pembina North
Expand the Pembina North attendance area as follows:
- Extend the Pembina North attendance area to the south. The area to be added to the Pembina North attendance area is currently part of the Eleanor Hall and Westlock attendance areas.
This affects these land locations:Moving from Westlock to Pembina North
61-2-W5: E10, 11, 12, S13, S14, SE15
61-1-W5: 1, 2, E3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, S13, S14, S15, S16, S17, S18
60-1-W5: NE34, N35, N36 (north of river)
61-27-W4: N4, W5, SW16 (north and east of river)
61-26-W4: E21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, E28, SE33, S34, S35, S36
61-25-W4: 19, W20, W29, 30, S31, SW32
Guiding principles: Transportation efficiency, Community input, Viability of schools, Density of populationMoving from Eleanor Hall to Pembina North
61-25-W4: E20, W21, W28, E29, SE32, SW33
61-25-W4: NE33, N34, N35, N36
61-24-W4: NW31
62-25-W4: 1, 2, 3, E4, E9, 10, 11, W12, SW13, S14, S15, SE16
Guiding principles: Transportation efficiency, Community input, Viability of schools, Density of population
Note: Current Grade 7 and 8 students, who live in the expanded Pembina North attendance area who attend R.F. Staples or St. Mary School may access the transfer bus from PNCS in order to finish Jr. High at their current school. Students living in what was formerly the Westlock attendance area may ride the transfer bus from Pembina North Community School for free. Students living in what was formerly the Eleanor Hall attendance area may ride the transfer bus at a cost. The fee is $450/year.
Westlock
Expand the Westlock attendance area as follows:
- Add two quarters along the south boundary, south of HWY 654 to the Westlock attendance area. Currently this area is in the Dunstable attendance area.
This affects these land locations:
58-1-W5: NE27, SE34
Guiding principle: Transportation efficiency - Add one quarter along the south boundary to the Westlock attendance area. Currently this area is in the Busby attendance area.
SW35-58-1-W5
Guiding principle: Transportation efficiency - Add the area that contains the Pickardville Coal Mine trailer park to the Westlock attendance area. Currently this area is in the Busby attendance area.
This affects these land locations:
N36-58-27-W4 and N31-58-26-W4
Guiding principle: Transportation efficiency - Add the area along the far western boundary, between Barrhead and Westlock counties to the Westlock attendance area. Currently this area is in the Barrhead attendance area.
This affects these land locations:
60-2-W5: E22, W23, W26, E27, E34, W35
58-1-W5: N31, N32, N33, N34
58-2-W5: NE36
59-2-W5: E1, E12, E13, E24, E25, E36
60-2-W5: E1, NE11, E12, NW12
Guiding principle: Transportation efficiency
Barrhead
Eleanor Hall
If your attendance area has changed
- Your child’s designated school will change.
While we encourage your child to attend their designated school; students/parents may choose to attend a different school if there is room at that school.
Parents must arrange transportation for their child. The options are as follows:
– parents may drive their child to the school
– parents may drive their child to a bus stop within the school’s attendance area to catch a bus — if there is room on that bus
– parents may apply to have their child ride a transfer bus to the school — if there is room on that bus. There is a fee for this service: $450 / year.
- Bus routes will change.
Students attending programs that aren’t available at their designated school will be bused to their new designated school before they catch a transfer bus to their program.
Even if your attendance area hasn’t changed, we will have to reorganize bus routes because of changes to other attendance areas so this may affect students across the division.
Attendance area review – chronology and key documents
Purpose and guiding principles
Timeline
| Phase 1 – Nov-Dec | |
| School board gathers initial community input | |
| Nov 18 – Dec 9 | Hosts 8 community input session – Recorder notes |
| Nov 25 – Dec 31 | Launches online survey |
| Jan 4 | Report summarizing community input |
| Phase 2 – Jan 26 – Mar 2 | |
| School board seeks community input about proposed change to bus service | |
| Jan 26 | School board announces process to seek community input about a proposed change to bus service for students who choose to attend an out-of-attendance-area school |
| Feb 1 – 18 | Online survey |
| Feb 17 & 18 | Community input sessions |
| Feb 20 | Reports summarizing community input – Input gathered at community engagement sessions Input gathered through online survey |
| Mar 2 | School board decides not to change bus service |
| Phase 3 – March 23 – April 27 | |
| School board seeks community input about proposed changes to attendance areas | |
| Mar 23 | School board announces proposed changes |
| Apr 4-20 | Online survey |
| Apr 19 & 20 | Community input sessions |
| Apr 25 | Reports summarizing community input – Input gathered at community engagement sessions Input gathered through online survey |
| Apr 27 | School board makes decision about proposed changes |