Enrollment drops below 150 at RRHS

Ken Johnston
Editor

With the number of students being projected to be about 146 at Rainy River High School this fall, the number of teachers has dropped from 13.5 to 12.67 this year.

Principal Bob McGreevy said that numbers have been steadily dropping by about 5 or 6 each of the past three years. He attributes that to little or no population growth in the area and an aging population.

Despite people saying the problem is a lack of programs at RRHS that is forcing them to send their kids to Fort Frances High School, McGreevy said that is not really the case; at least not in the early grades.

“Grades 9 and 10 are virtually the same at any high school,” explained McGreevy noting that it is those years in which the students get most of their compulsory courses. It is the senior years when the kids begin to look at college and university and demand more course variety that things begin to be a problem.

However both McGreevy and Vice-principal Donna Kowalchuk said that they are working hard to provide the widest number of course available for seniors.

In addition to offering a course selection sheet for the next year, they have begun to let students know what will be offered two or three years down the road. Many course are offered on a two or three year rotation and by letting students know well in advance when they will be offered they can plan better and stay at RRHS.

Another program that the school uses heavily is Contact North which allows students to take programs unavailable at RRHS over the phone lines.

McGreevy noted that the OAC programs (grade 13) are being phased out and that should help with course selection options at RRHS. As there are usually less than 10 OAC students at RRHS, providing a wide variety of options is tough. However if all the grade 12 students are attending the school they will be able to access more options as their numbers are generally higher.

As for the so called dividing line that residents have talked about over the years where students living west of Barwick should be forced to come to RRHS, McGreevy said that no one can be forced to go to any school. However he feels that RRHS has many pluses to offer students.

In addition to average class sizes of about 15 compared to much higher numbers in FFHS, McGreevy said that students even with moderate athletic ability will usually get to play on a team here. At larger schools they have to try out and make a cut.

“It is our job to get out and market the benefits of our school and hope they come here,” said McGreevy.