INUVIK
Despite the general cheer at last week's District Education Authority annual general meeting, a troubling thread ran through several of the presentations.

Principal of East Three School Dr. Deborah Reid gives a presentation at the District Education Council's annual general meeting Nov. 24. - Sarah Ladik/NNSL photo

The budget for the Beaufort Delta Education Council has been reduced by nearly $1 million this school year and six teaching positions across the region will not be filled as a result of a hiring freeze.

"We cannot budget for a deficit," said assistant superintendent for the council Greta Sittichinli, going on to explain that most of the cuts will be in staffing to make ends meet.

Those positions that will not be filled are in communities like Tsiigetchic and Sachs Harbour but the vast majority of the student population in the region - about half of it - goes to East Three School. Sittichinli said the budget, approved last spring, has been decreased by $916,450, along with $25,000 less in contribution agreements.

Government funding is based on the number of students at each school, making attendance an important issue for many reasons. Enrolment, however, is down across the region. According to supervisor of school Chris Gilmour, the numbers for East Three Secondary School are down to 240 from 360 in 2010 but that gains at the elementary level are close to balancing the total for the school as a whole. The same cannot be said in smaller communities and the board is down about 40 students in total.

"When it comes to our students, it is important that we as parents and guardians understand the importance of each student's attendance and how it plays a huge role in their academic future," said DEA chair Lesa Semmler in her report. "We may sometimes think that the early years are not as important as the later years, but the reality is they are the most important time of our children's educational future."

East Three, however, is doing everything it can to retain students and make their education a positive experience. Principal Deborah Reid said that with a concerted effort, teachers and staff have been working to make the school a more welcoming place. Both Semmler and Reid made reference to the school's massive efforts to incorporate on-the-land teaching, as well as traditional culture in their classrooms, and the success such programs have seen.

"In the last few years we've worked a lot on branding," Reid said, adding that banners and T-shirts with the elementary school's motto "We belong" have been popular initiatives. "A lot of the problems the North has are with attendance. We want children to come in the doors and feel like they belong here, that they want to be here."

On the secondary side, whose motto is "Rise above," Reid said the school actively encourages students to contribute to the community in a positive way.

"We have a lot of diversity in our school. We have to come together to work things out and find creative solutions."

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