4 communities keep schools as small as 9 students

One by one, six schools on the chopping block in rural Newfoundland were reviewed by the school district, with board trustees visiting each community to help them decide how to vote.

The reasons the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District had for its recommendations to close schools were the same.

• School board votes to keep 5 schools with 89 students total open

It would save $1.7 million in total including operating costs, bus changes, and cuttingstaff units;transportation time to the other schools were within the district's norms of roughly one hour; consolidation would offer students more programs and services;and more integration with other students their age.

Lucy Warren, the district's acting associate director of education, went through the analysis for each school in question at Saturday afternoon's board meeting in St. John's, where trustees cast their votes.

She also went through the feedback the district received, reiterated by some of the trustees voting against closingfour of the schools.

Among the comments: "The students are too young";"finances should not be a factor";safety concerns aboutbus rides in winter; and questions about what would happen to the community if the school closed.

Small schools, few easy answers

Trustees at the meeting said the decisions were difficult.

"I really struggle with this one," Peter Whittle said as he voted against closing Leading Tickles Primary, with nine students set to be four come September.

"Trying to find the finances in this and how it works at a time we're having so much difficulty in the province when it comes to funding anything."

• Cut spending, N.L. government tells agencies, boards, corporations

Only the closure of H.L. Strong Academy in Little Bay Islands received no opposition, as it has no students and no expected enrolment.

Its closure will save $77,000 annually in operating costs, including the salary and benefits of one support employee.

Here's a breakdown of the other schools reviewed, with all information from the NLESD:

Leading Tickles Primary, Leading Tickles

• Staying open
• K-3.
• Ninestudents, set to go down to four next year.
• Students could go to Point Leamington Academy (K to Level 4) roughly 28 kilometres away.
• Students already go to Point Leamingtonin Grade 4.
• Would save $222,000/year.

Swift Current Academy, Swift Current

• Staying open
• K to Level 4.
• 24students, projected to have between 19 and 25 students to 2026.
• Option to go to Tricentia Academy, 53 kilometres away from furthest Swift Current student.
• Would save $440,000/year.

James Cook Memorial, Cook's Harbour

• Staying open
• K to Level 4.
• Ninestudents, projected to low of four,high of eight in next 10 years.
• Students could go to White Hills Academy, roughly 48 kilometres away.
• Would save $198,000/year.

Appalachia High School & Our Lady of Mercy Elementary, St. George's

• Consolidating
• Two schoolsare in the same building connected by a hallway.
• Our Lady of Mercy Elementary has 148 students, and students already go to Appalachia for Grade 9.
• Appalachia High has 115 students.
• Each school has its own administrative team: principal, assistantprincipal and secretary.
• Now it will have a single administrative team.
• Consolidation will save $124,000/year.

LeGallais Memorial, Isle aux Morts

• Staying open
• K-9school.
• Projected to have between 47 and 25 students from now to 2026.
• Option to go to St. James Elementary (K-6)and St. James Regional High (7 to Level 4) 43 kilometresaway, orGrandy's River Collegiate (K to Level 4) 11 kilometres away.
• LeGallaisstudents already bused to St. James for high school.
• Option to move LeGallais students to St. James would save $551,000/year.
• Option to move LeGallais students to Grandy'swould save $251,000/year.