If Saturday's event is to be Mother Teresa Catholic School's last hurrah, then the community of Halkirk made it count with a packed Domino concert.
The March 12 event at the Halkirk Hall had the popular Stettler country music quartet performing an entertaining, active show, with the monies raised intended to go toward the upkeep of Mother Teresa.
According to JD Johnson, one of the leaders of the Halkirk Concerned Parents group, the concert is thought to have raised roughly $2,500, after expenses are paid. He said about 170 people attended the concert.
The East Central Alberta Catholic School (ECACS) Board is contemplating closing the aging facility due to the cost of upgrading the building to current health and safety codes and the consistently decreasing school population. The school board purchased the building in the 1990s from the Clearview School Board when it decided to close the building with a student population of less than 60.
The school also no longer qualifies for small school by necessity funding, as it is within 25km of Castor and Theresetta Catholic School has room for the students.
ECACS committed to keeping Mother Teresa open with a student population of 40, but the population has been closer to 30 over the past several years. With the decreased enrollment, decreased funding and the deteriorating condition of the building, the school board has recommended the school be closed and students transferred to Theresetta Catholic School in Castor.
"We wanted to show the board we have the ability to raise money and are committed to keeping Mother Teresa open in the community," Johnson explained.
He said the community is "antsy" while waiting for ECACS to make a decision, which is slated to come down at its monthly board meeting on March 21, being held at Christ-King Catholic School in Stettler at 4 p.m.
"We have no idea how the board will go," he said.
This is not the first time the school board has recommended closing Mother Teresa. The last time was just a few years ago, and at the time the board decided to keep the school open.
If the board elects to close the school at the coming meeting, Johnson said the money raised will go instead to the Halkirk Hall repairs.