By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

ward review coming

Wolf Creek Public Schools finds cost savings

Dec 13, 2019 | 3:58 PM

Trustees with Wolf Creek Public Schools are cutting back on meetings in order to save money.

Going from two meetings each month to just on is expected to save the division more than $15,000 a year.

Superintendent Jayson Lovell says the board is doing whatever it can to adapt after the provincial budget put them and every other school division in a tight spot.

“Our board is always strong in their efforts to advocate for adequate funding for operating our school division. We’ve seen messaging and expectations around ensuring front line supports at the classroom level are maintained and our board has taken that to heart,” says Lovell, who declined to say outright if there’s frustration in dealing with the financial restraints.

“We understand we have to look at our operations first at central office in Ponoka,” he notes, “and the overall climate in the school division is one of asking a lot of questions, gathering lots of information and using that to guide decisions. We have to stretch our dollars as best we can.”

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Operating reductions this year amount to around a quarter of a million dollars, with the division realizing a $1.8 million shortfall due to provincial cuts.

Since 2016, six positions have been reduced at central office, with more than $1 million in total reductions inside the division’s headquarters.

Meantime, Wolf Creek Public Schools is moving ahead with a review of its five wards.

Lovell says the board began looking at realignment about a year ago due to growing and declining populations in certain areas.

“Data hasn’t been gathered yet, but when we look at our rural wards, like Ward 1 on the east side, so Alix, Tees, Clive and Mecca Glen, typically we haven’t seen a lot of growth in those communities,” says Lovell. “Whereas in Ward 5, Lacombe and Blackfalds, we’ve seen tremendous growth. It’ll be interesting what the review tells us about the changing demographics.”

The review has an eye towards ensuring there is equitable representation throughout the division. It is scheduled to be complete in the fall, with a plan to be submitted to the government by the end of 2020.