An effort to establish neighbourhood learning centres in three rural schools advanced a step Tuesday night when school board trustees agreed to meet with regional district representatives to discuss recommendations outlined in a feasibility study.
The aim is to make greater use of the Hixon, Nukko Lake and Giscome elementary schools and, in the process, make the schools financially viable from the School District 57 point of view. However, it may require turning to taxpayers in each of the schools' respective communities.
In a presentation to trustees, consultant Pascal Charest, who worked on the feasibility study, indicated that's particularly likely in Hixon and Giscome where there are strong desires for community halls and seniors centres but little market for rental to third parties.
He also noted that, in Hixon's case, the school's operating deficit, at about $48,000 a year, makes renting the facility prohibitively high as a route to offsetting the shortfall.
Charest did see some potential for Nukko Lake. He listed a Ministry of Forests satellite office, health services facilities, bases for summer camp programs and a Farmer's Institute meeting place as possible revenue generators.
Trustees did express the desire that the school district retain ownership and there was some discussion about how best to work with the communities to make use of the buildings after school hours.
Regional district chair Art Kaehn said establishing a local service tax would take a referendum in each community. The process would take about six months, he said.
Kevin Dunphy, the electoral area director for Giscome-Willow River, said the frustration level with the slow-going of the process is getting extreme and officials need to move quickly.
Charest's recommendations in the feasibility study were to sign a memorandum of understanding with the regional district, revisit a joint use agreement between the two bodies to examine opportunities for further support of rural schools and to lobby the provincial government for changes to rural school funding.
