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Chinook's Edge School Division (CESD) has responded to a story that was published on Monday, April 28th, regarding a funding cut to the Penhold & District Library. Today, April 30th, a letter was sent to parents of students attending Chinook's Edge schools in Penhold.
Here is a copy of that letter that was written by Shawn Russell, the Associate Superintendent Corporate Services for Chinook's Edge School Division.
Dear parents, we’ve recently heard some concerns in the community about changes to our agreement with the town library, and we’d like to provide some clarity.
Over the past year, Chinook’s Edge School Division has worked with the Penhold & District Library Board regarding the terms of our agreement for student access to library services. The division’s goal in these discussions was to increase library access for Penhold Crossing Secondary students, and to ensure a fair and equitable agreement that is in line with agreements the division has in other communities.
Currently, Penhold Crossing students have limited access to library services. The facility is closed on Mondays and opens after the school day is well underway on the remaining days of the week. Students have access to the library space approximately 60 percent of the time the school is open, which is the lowest of any school in the division. At the same time, Chinook’s Edge has been paying $20,000 annually for that service, significantly more than in any other community.
Even though Chinook’s Edge met multiple times with the library board, with the intent of working through these challenges, we were unable to reach an agreement that gives students better access to library services that is fair and comparable to what we have with municipal libraries in our other communities. As a result, Chinook’s Edge will not continue its contract with the Penhold & District Library after June 30, 2025.
One of the concerns that has been expressed publicly is that without an agreement, the Penhold & District Library will see a decrease in funding. Chinook’s Edge School Division does not have a mandate to fund public libraries; this is not something the division does in any other Chinook’s Edge community.
Another concern that has been voiced, is about library use of a space that is owned by Chinook’s Edge. We do have plans that will allow this space to be used by Career High students starting in the fall of 2025. We will accomplish this by adding a retractable wall. The two intents of the retractable wall are: ensuring flexibility moving forward, and allowing Penhold Crossing the ability to have controlled and quiet learning spaces for students. The flexibility of the wall will allow Penhold Crossing to meet student needs, and to still share the space with the Penhold & District Library, for programming it would like to offer during non-instructional times.
A third concern that has been circulating in the community is that the change of agreement means a decrease in funding to library services in Penhold schools. In fact, with this change, Chinook’s Edge will be investing 27% more in staffing for Learning Commons spaces in the Penhold community starting in September 2025, as well as an additional $60,000 for resources.
We shared with you, in a letter dated March 10, what you can expect for library services in Chinook’s Edge schools in Penhold in the fall. Here are a few highlights from that letter:
● Starting in September 2025, Penhold Crossing will have its own Library Learning Commons space. The division will invest $20,000 to add to existing resources at the school. The new learning commons space will give Penhold Crossing students full access to library services and resources, in line with what other high school students in Chinook’s Edge have.
● With the opening of Penhold Waskasoo Middle School (PWMS), and a revised grade configuration (Grades 4 to 8), Chinook’s Edge will curate an age-appropriate collection of content to meet the needs of students in that school. The PWMS Library Learning Commons will utilize resources from Penhold Elementary School, Penhold Crossing as well as $40,000 from Chinook’s Edge for library resources.
In summary, students attending our schools in Penhold will have excellent access to library services and resources moving forward, in alignment with what students in other Chinook’s Edge communities have. We will continue to work with Penhold & District Library to share access to Chinook’s Edge space during breaks outside of instructional time.
Chinook’s Edge prides itself on well-maintained library collections and services, and that will continue. We look forward to maintaining and enhancing our Learning Commons services to Penhold schools.
Sincerely, Shawn Russell Associate Superintendent Corporate Services Chinook’s Edge School Division
An update to this story will be provided once more information becomes available.
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