Starting next fall, Grade 7 and 8 students from Hochfeld School will attend Prairie Dale School in Schanzenfeld for their last two years of junior high. The Board of the Garden Valley School Division (GVSD) made the decision at its last regular meeting.
Over three years ago, a number of parents from Hochfeld School brought a proposal for the Board to consider - which was moving the Grade 7 and 8 students from Hochfeld to Prairie Dale. The pandemic then hit, and GVSD Superintendent Dan Ward says any sort of major changes were put on hold. The proposal was brought back to the Board in the fall of 2022 for reconsideration.
"Certainly, Hochfeld is a great community school, and you know, community members are extremely proud of their school, as they should be. It's a great school. But there was a sense among some parents that once students reached that age or that Grade of 7 and 8, they had outgrown the school in some ways. It's a relatively small school in terms of the actual building. The gymnasium is kind of an elementary school gym," said Ward. He added the parents also felt that in terms of access to facilities and programming for those middle school students who were about to transition to high school, a larger school might be a better fit.
Ward explained the Board then conducted a comprehensive consultation process. That process included a survey, which he says they sent out as far and wide as they could. An information and consultation evening was held in January, and prior to that, Ward says he met with the Parent Advisory Council.
"Based on all of the consultation that we did, it was quite apparent that the majority of parents favoured the move, that they really wanted to see Grade 7 and 8 students move to Prairie Dale. There were a number of opinions and there were some that did bring up some concerns that certainly we are prepared to address and answer any questions."
Ward said it was quite apparent from their consultation process and survey, that a strong majority of parents really did support this move. "Again, they very much take pride in the Community School that is in Hochfeld, and that school has been growing as of late. And you know, that's another piece that we also looked at. Being a Grade 1-6 school, this will provide those students with some additional space to meet their needs as well.”
There are quite a few School of Choice students already from the Hochfeld catchment in Grades 7 and 8 attending Prairie Dale, which also factored into the Board's decision.
"So with those two factors in mind, the fact that we do already lose a significant number of students from Hochfeld to Prairie Dale, as well as what we learned through the Community consultation, the Board did decide at the Board meeting just a few days ago, that the Hochfeld students in Grades 7 and 8 will be transported to Prairie Dale for those two years."