Dear Editor:
RE: Proposed closure of Byemoor School
Recently, I have been made aware of the tabled resolution by the Clearview School Division that calls for the closure of the Byemoor School.
As a resident of the Byemoor area, I can assure you that Byemoor School is the backbone of our community.
Not only does it provide a high quality education for our students, the building itself serves as a community hub, hosting many sports and cultural activities outside of school hours.
Students are able to learn in a small-classroom environment while nurturing their rural background, giving them a distinct advantage when entering the workforce.
Byemoor School is located in the southeast part of the County of Stettler, about a 45-minute drive from Stettler. Its distance from any major centres makes the school vital to the education of our young people.
If the school were to close, the distance that those young children in elementary school and kindergarten would have to travel to the nearest school is unacceptable.
I am very proud of our school and our students. The staff is dedicated to providing a high-quality education, and the school administration strives for that excellence within a reasonable budget.
I hope that Clearview school board fully understands the impact closing the school will have on our community and its future.
Our community is young and vibrant — many of the students who attended the school in the past have moved back to raise their families in Byemoor and Endiang, a true indication of the importance of the school in our small rural communities.
Coun. Lawrence Wilkie,
County of Stettler,
Byemoor-Endiang Ward