Star City School is currently K-12 with enrolment as of Sept. 5 at 44 pupils.
STAR CITY — The Star City Community Council is recommending the Northeast School Division discontinue Grades 7-12 starting with the 2025-2026 school year.
At the NESD Sept. 17 board meeting, the board approved two motions to discontinue Grades 7-2 at the Star City School and review the viability of the younger grades as well.
Stacy Lair, Director of Education said, “The motions were approved together, one after the other. Within the Education Act, a School and Community Council’s (SCC) recommendation for grade discontinuance gives a Board of Education the option of following the advisement without the necessity of a school review. This is the case with Star City School’s SCC recommendation.”
Star City School is currently K-12 with enrolment as of Sept. 5 at 44 pupils.
Lair said in her report, “During the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 school years, the Star City SCC has been actively involved in determining the best course of action for their high school. With declining enrollment trends, they recognize the importance of engaging the community to evaluate whether discontinuing certain grades could create a more sustainable elementary school. Additionally, the SCC acknowledges the need to assess equitable opportunities for high school students in a setting with very few students.”
Lair’s report stated that, currently, access to high school programming and extra-curricular opportunities in Tisdale and Melfort are limited to a family’s ability or means to transport their children. Unequal access to activities and programs has been a concern for the board.
The February and March board meetings will allow for time to propose, gather feedback and approve the new attendance boundary which will determine school bus transportation to either Tisdale or Melfort. After the March board meeting, an approved catchment area map will be provided.
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