Cold Lake’s public schools could see grade levels change at some sites

The Cold Lake configuration committee will meet again in early December and decide the next steps on the future of the city’s public schools.

With Northern Lights Public Schools’ in Cold Lake reaching capacity in the coming years, the committee had two Zoom sessions for parents to give feedback earlier this November.

“Now what needs to happen is the configuration committee is going to have a meeting and review how that the consultations went and what additional consultation they may want to get and how they want to do that,” said NLPS communications officer Nicole Garner.

The three options presented to parents see changes to the grade levels at elementary, junior high, and high schools.

Currently, North Star Elementary is a K-3 school, Cold Lake Elementary is K-4, Art Smith is K-8, Nelson Heights and Cold Lake Middle School offers Grade 4-8, and Cold Lake High is Grade 9-12.

The ‘streamlined’ configuration option would North Star, Cold Lake Elementary and Nelson Heights all become K-6 schools. Art Smith K-8 would stay K-8, unless there is adjustments needed for grade levels. Then all Grade 7-9s would enroll CLMS expect some 7 and 8s and Art Smith. Cold Lake High School would be Grades 10-12.

Under the ‘high school’ option: North Star, Cold Lake Elementary and Nelson Heights all become K-6 schools and Art Smith would stay K-8. Cold Lake Middle School and Cold Lake High School would both become Grade 7-12 schools.

The third option would see North Star turns into a K-6, CLES would become a K-3 school while Nelson Heights would be a Grade 4-6 school. Cold Lake Middle School become a Grade 7-9 school and CLHS from Grade 10-12.

While these changes may begin as early as September, Garner said NLPS will take a phased approach to whatever option is selected.

For now, the committee will decide what comes next.

“That’s really going to be up to the committee to decide what the next steps are as to whether they hold more online zoom consultations, or they try to do some kind of survey, or how they might want to collect additional feedback from the community. So they’re meeting I believe, early in December, to discuss that,” said Garner.