During the regular board meeting held on February 25, 2021, the Peace River School Division (PRSD) Board of Trustees reviewed and approved the Red Earth Creek School Enrolment Improvement Review Report and recommendations. The board elected to proceed with the Enrolment Improvement Review based on a recommendation put forth by PRSD Superintendent Paul Bennett at the October 2020 regular board meeting. The review was initiated due to low enrolment, particularly in the senior high grades.  

“We are very pleased with the recommendations put forth to enhance educational opportunities for students at Red Earth Creek School” says Board Chair Darren Kuester. “The recommendations in the report align well with the concerns and suggestions put forth by students, staff, parents and community during the boards’ consultation meetings held in December with the school community.” 

On December 9, 2020, the board of trustees and administration hosted three separate virtual consultation meetings with RECS students, staff and with families and community members to discuss the review and gather input. 

“At our virtual meetings, students, staff, parents and community members provided robust input on how the division and the community could move forward to improve educational opportunities at the school with a particular focus on high school programming” says Kuester. “We are very grateful for their involvement and input that played a key role in shaping the recommendations outlined in the report.”

Recommendations from the review include:

1.    Continue and strengthen the relationship between Red Earth Creek School (RECS) and Peace River High School (PRHS) focusing on career counselling, program options, partnerships in delivery of specific courses, and educational field trip opportunities.
2.    Deploy existing school resources to provide enhanced instruction in career technology studies (CTS) such as Foods and other options such as Fine Arts. Where appropriate and possible, engage the support of community resources.
3.    Partner with community businesses and organizations to strengthen off-campus education at RECS.
4.    Consider partnering with the Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council Educational Authority (KTCEA) on special instructional initiatives such as land-based learning and Cree language instruction and athletics. 
5.    Continue with blended learning instruction and refine the focus for RECS, including an exploration of an Outreach approach for high school programming.
6.    Explore alternatives to Alberta Distance Learning Centre (ADLC) program delivery.
7.    Explore existing PRSD and other instructional resources with a goal to provide virtual schooling at the high school level at RECS.
8.    Endeavour to provide school-based instruction for senior high math courses. Where a specialist teacher cannot be recruited to deliver programming on-site, students doing the virtual math courses will receive site-based staff support that will be a component of the RECS staff allocation.
9.    Support the school in improving student attendance with the aim of enhancing student
academic achievement.

PRSD administration will move forward as soon as possible with the recommendations outlined in the report. View the Red Earth Creek School Enrolment Improvement Review HERE.