Rural hamlet in northwestern Alberta will lose its school at the end of June

A small school in the northwestern Alberta will be closing this summer due to dwindling enrolment. 

Trustees for the Peace River School Division voted 5-1 at a special meeting on Monday to close the Dixonville School at the end of June. 

The kindergarten-to-Grade 9 school, located in the hamlet 540 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, has been operating since 1931.

A notice posted on the school division website this week says students will be transported to nearby Grimshaw Public School, 40 kilometres south of Dixonville.

"This decision was not made lightly and followed careful consideration of various factors including declining enrolment and long-term sustainability as well as feedback from the Dixonville community," the statement said.

'Lose-lose decision'

Trustees asked for a viability review in January, after projected enrolment for September was estimated at 26 to 31 students — down from 43.

Dixonville School qualifies for enrolment-based provincial funding through the Rural Small School Grant. With more than 35 students, the school received nearly $500,000 last year.

If enrolment falls below 35, funding would get cut by more than half, the division said.

"We understand the deep connection the community has with Dixonville School. In situations like this one, these decisions are never clearly right, or clearly wrong, and often feel like a lose-lose situation," said board chair Crystal Owens.

"Ultimately, we had to make a decision that we believe is in the best long-term interests of all students within the Peace River School Division."

'A different path'

Three generations of Karl Sorenson's family have attended Dixonville school, including his two children.

Sorenson and other parents are in the process of forming an organization to look at setting up a charter school. They plan to have their first meeting this weekend.

"You kind of think of the history that you had and some of the memories you had in it, but, we're also looking toward the future," said Sorenson.

"Hopefully it's not the end of the road for it, it's just a different path."