No longer under review.
That's what Horizon School Division (HZSD) announced regarding Nokomis School last week.
The K-Grade 12 school in the small town of 397 residents had been placed under review by the HZSD last fall, due to what they called budgetary constraints, low enrolment and difficulties meeting program needs.
This was the fourth time in five years the school had been placed under review.
In January, the HZSD board of education voted to continue the review process, to "consider the discontinuance of one or more grades up to and including the complete closure of Nokomis School with an effective date of discontinuance or closure of August 1, 2012."
Public meetings were held in Nokomis as part of that continuing review, and the citizens showed up en masse to convince the board that the school is and will continue to be viable as the years go by.
Their argument was that the enrolment of the school is going to rise, based on the number of small children in the community and the development they hope the town will benefit from in the near future, thanks to a proposed potash mine near Jansen, and new developments right in their town.
They worried a school closure or grade discontinuance would not only be good for present students, forcing them to bus to school in other communities, but were also concerned it would affect the town's future growth.
Then on April 25, the HZSD board of education held a special meeting in Lanigan to consider the future of Nokomis School.
They unanimously decided that the review had demonstrated that consideration of grade discontinuance or school closure is not warranted at this time, and they voted to remove the school from review status.
"As elected representatives, the role of the board of education is to ensure a quality education is provided to all students in a responsible manner," stated Jim Hack, board chair, in a media release issued by the HZSD. "We believe the decision to discontinue the review process at this time is the best interest of the students of Nokomis.
"We sincerely appreciate the efforts of the Nokomis School Review Committee (NSRC) and the entire community of Nokomis. They are to be commended for their passion, cooperation and hard work throughout the review process," he added.
The HZSD will continue to monitor the enrolment of the school, Hack noted, and the progress of the community "in order to ensure we are meeting the educational needs of the students of Nokomis School."
The enrolment at the school last fall was 55 students. The HZSD's numbers showed the student population rising to just 60 students in 2016-17, but the Nokomis School Review Committee (NSRC) has projections that show enrolment hitting 88 students that year, a rise of 20 per cent in four years.
David Mark, a member of the NSRC and the local school community council, said that the community is relieved by the decision of the board.
"There is a sense of relief here in town," he said.
Over 100 people showed up at a meeting held Wednesday to discuss the board's decision.
"We have a very engaged electorate here," Mark said. "People, through this process, have remembered they have to be active participants... to have a system to meet their needs."
The board of education actually held their regular meeting in Nokomis on April 23, and had a chance to talk to school staff before the school day began.
"I know that was an important piece of the success of Wednesday's vote," Mark said.
Staff had a chance to speak frankly to the board, and added "a more human element to the... review process," Mark noted.
Seeing the school on a normal day seemed to make a big impression on the board, Mark feels.
"The school itself did us proud," he said.
The board's decision, Mark feels, is a culmination of many different elements.
"It's to the credit of the community," he said, that the school will stay open.
"The community galvanized behind us," he said. "And acted when called upon... Because Nokomis is the community it is, it stood up and defended itself... This is an important corner we've turned."
The review process has not only allowed Nokomis to keep their school open, it's also opened some doors between the town and the board of education, Mark feels.
"We've moved from a stressful relationship with the board to a new.... working relationship," he said.
They still have work to do - the community and the board - to ensure students get all they need out of an education at Nokomis School, especially at a high school level, Mark indicated.
"We recognized the lower numbers in high school are different from averages of the division," Mark said.
The solution, Mark feels, is to come up with strategies to retain a foundation of classes for students in high school in Nokomis, perhaps by supplementing the offerings with classes at other schools, or offering an exchange program.
After a short break, the NSRC plans to get back together to put together plans and strategies to make that happen, and then meet with the board of education at the end of the school year to discuss them.
"We want to be more active, (to) contribute more," Mark said, "with more unified action."
They want to take a collaborative approach with the board, he said, instead of an adversarial one.
"I'm looking forward to this now," he said of finding solutions for the school. "I'm excited and optimistic about being asked to meet this challenge. It's a far healthier place to work from. No one here is afraid of challenges."
