Small town Alberta school to switch to 4-day week

According to 2021 census data, there are 557 people living in Granum, Alta. The school says its transition to a four-day school week was to streamline its budget, retain and recruit staff and aid in student success.

A school west of Lethbridge has shortened its weekly schedule for the new year, a move the board says offers more flexibility for its students and their families.

Beginning in September, Granum School will move to a four-day school week.

Administrators say the decision was made to help boost enrolment after a number of families began home schooling their children following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Others simply moved out of the community due to a lack of child care options.

The Livingstone Range School Division says the K-9 school has 42 students but expects an increase following the change.

"Because a lot of our families are from farming communities and they like having the kid at home to work on the farm," said board chair Lori Hodges.

"The feedback we got around that was that they really appreciated having the kids home for that extra day and just given that flexibility to meet the needs of the families."

The division has seen a 19 per cent increase in enrollment overall this year, which is welcome news given that 14 schools in rural Alberta have been shut down since 2019.