The Board of Trustees met for their regular meeting on September 18, 2025 in Grimshaw.

Preparing for Election 2025

The Board of Trustees heard from Secretary-Treasurer and Returning Officer Rhonda Freeman regarding the plans for the upcoming October Election. Freeman emphasized the school division's long-standing partnership to hold joint elections with local municipalities, sharing election spaces and reducing election costs where possible. The Board agreed to hold advanced polls where partner municipalities are involved, with the locations and dates being confirmed following nomination day. Freeman also highlighted for the Board that the current election is expected to be the largest since the 2017 election.

Joint Use Agreements

The Board of Trustees received information regarding amendments to the Grimshaw Shared Facilities Joint Use Agreement, as well as the new Joint Use Planning Agreement for Peace River. 

Trustee Lori Leitch, who has been the Board’s representative on the Grimshaw Joint Use committee, explained the most significant amendment to the agreement is the addition of an operational subcommittee to address operational concerns more efficiently. Trustee Leitch also highlighted the tremendous effort by the Town of Grimshaw to come alongside the PRSD and the Holy Family Catholic Regional Division to find solutions to improve traffic flow and safety at the facility. The final amendments to the agreement are pending circulation among the partners, and the agreement will be presented for ratification at a future board meeting.

The agreement for Peace River is a new agreement, required by the Municipal Government Act, between the Town of Peace River and the three School Divisions that operate within Town limits. This agreement outlines how the school divisions and municipality will collaborate on joint use items, such as sports fields and facility rentals, as well as specifying protocols for scheduling meetings and the composition of the committee. The board approved the agreement by way of a motion.

Student Recognition

The Board of Trustees proudly recognized the remarkable academic achievement of Grimshaw Public School student, Ciara Kamphuis, who achieved a perfect score on both the Part A and Part B of her Grade 9 Provincial Achievement Test (PAT) during the 2024-2025 school year.

A lifelong resident of Grimshaw, Ciara shared her favorite subjects are math and science. When she's not excelling in academics, she enjoys spending time outdoors, with hobbies like paddleboarding, biking, and camping. 

Letter of Support for Fairview

The board directed administration to draft a letter of support for Board signature for the Town of Fairview and MD of Fairview’s Alberta Community Partnership grant application to establish a Community Facilities and Recreation Strategy.

Fairview Schools

The Board of Trustees reviewed the Fairview School Facilities Engagement Report, which was created following two engagement sessions that took place on September 9. The first session took place with the Division’s school staff, and the second session took place with members of the Fairview School community. During those sessions, stakeholders were asked to consider three options for the future of Fairview school facilities: Option 1, a new K-12 school; Option 2, a new Grade 7-12 school with a modernized K-6 school; and Option 3, a new K-6 school with a modernized Grade 7-12 school.

The report reflected a slight preference for Option 1 contingent on several critical factors including that the new school:

• Does not compromise on the size and quality of instructional and extracurricular spaces
• Integrates meaningful partnerships with Northwestern Polytechnic, the Town of Fairview and the MD of Fairview, as well as local daycare and preschool organizations.
• Anticipates and accommodates future growth in student enrollment.

Following a lengthy discussion on the topic, the Board of Trustees carried a motion to update the 2025-2028 Capital Plan to include the top priority of the Division as being the design and construction of a New K-12 school in Fairview. This motion was made after weighing all of the feedback contained in the report, and gathered by individual Trustees, along with the information available from the Provincial Government. 

The next step for the Board of Trustees is to engage in a Value Scoping Session where the stakeholder feedback contained within the engagement report will be instrumental in determining what a K-12 school in Fairview may look like. 

Preliminary Enrollment Report

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jeff Thompson presented a preliminary enrollment report for the current school year to the Board. The report indicates an overall decrease in enrollment due to significantly fewer students enrolled in the Division’s home learning program. Increases in enrollment are reported at Bear Canyon Colony School, Cleardale Colony School, Grimshaw Public School, Manning Aurora Composite School, Menno Simons Community School, Peace River High School, Red Earth Creek School, and Worsley Central School. 

Superintendent Thompson reported that he would provide the Board with another enrollment report following the end-of-September Count. This is the date the Government uses in their Adjusted Enrollment Method, which is used as the basis for many funding formulas within the 2025-2026 Funding Manual for School Authorities.

Watch the full meeting on the Peace River School Division's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@prsd10