Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 02/00) - A recently released report is showing dramatic enrolment turnovers in Yellowknife schools.

According to a study conducted for Yellowknife Education District No. 1, some school populations, particularly urban ones like Mildred Hall, J.H. Sissons, and Sir John Franklin high school, see a turnover of more than 50 per cent within the school year.

While suburban schools like Range Lake North and N.J. MacPherson show relatively low turnover rates, Mildred Hall tops Yellowknife elementary schools at 70 per cent.

The report is the result of a year-long study known as the Magnet Community Research Project. The project was initiated in response to perceptions of significant and unexpected mid-year enrolment change within District No. 1 schools.

"What we're seeing is incredible activity, a lot of ins and outs," said Steven Richards, a management consultant who tabled the report.

"Sir John is the most active, well over a 100 per cent turnover."

A case study at Mildred Hall indicated, while 80 per cent of the student body may remain stable throughout the school year (students attending September to June), there is a 20 per cent window of non-stable enrolment.

The actual results showed a turnover rate of 4.43 students within the non-stable enrolment. For example, in a classroom situation with 25 students, where five of those student seats would be non-stable, there would be on average 2.2 different children each month using that seat.

Even though it is widely believed that non-stable enrolment correlates with Yellowknife's designation as a central service provider to the North, and thus attracts a steady transient population of families entering and exiting the city, little has been done in the past to keep track of these children.

"There's been more questions raised than answered (by the report)," Richards said.

"There are problems with new files constantly coming in, and administration has to make sure the files follow the students."

"There is a need to track students better, they're all over the place."

Dr. Judith Knapp, Superintendent of District No. 1, said that constant turnovers in the classroom are having a significant effect on school resources and the teachers themselves.

"Teachers have to keep re-adjusting their program and this creates a lot of stress on the classroom teacher," said Knapp.

"We'll have to find a way to allocate resources for these children."

According to Knapp, the report is just a preliminary study meant to inform administrative staff of the occurrences of turnovers in their schools and possibly lead the way to begin finding ways to provide better services for non-stable enrolments.

"We'll be continuing to collect data," Knapp said.

"We are definitely going to be looking for ways to organize better and on how we can provide services to the way populations change."