Students at Woking School will start the 2021-2022 school year in a new location after it was announced the 72-year-old building will be closing at the end of the school year. The Peace Wapiti Public School Division Board voted unanimously to close the school at a meeting April 29th.
“This is a sad day for PWPSD and the community of Woking, but we have made this decision in the best interest of the students,” says PWPSD Board Chair and Trustee for Ward 1 Kari Scheers.
The division says a huge factor in the closure of the school was a lack of students. The school was projected to drop below 35 students next year, which would result in a revenue decrease of over $210,000.
“With the threat of quadruple grading looming for next year due to low student enrolment and decreases to their budget, I believe the best decision for the students is to move them to one of the nearby schools where they will receive a more equitable education and be in classrooms with more peers,” adds Scheers.
The PWPSD says all students in Kindergarten to Grade eight who live east of Highway 2 will transfer to Rycroft School, with all other students transferring to Spirit River Regional Academy. The school division says students who are directed to Rycroft school are being granted a one-time opportunity for cross-boundary transportation to Spirit River Regional Academy.