Yellowhead County council has postponed discussion of a financial request from Fulham Community School until the Grande Yellowhead Public School Division decides how to address falling enrolment rates.
In February, the school requested $400,000 over three years from the county to address a significant funding shortfall caused by anticipated low enrolment.
According to the Grande Yellowhead Public School Division (GYPSD), Fulham Community School’s enrolment has declined by 70 per cent since 2004, falling from 119 students to 35.3 full-time equivalent (FTE) funded students in 2025-2026. The projected enrolment for 2026-2027 is 29.65 FTE students.
To remain eligible for the approximately $487,000 in Rural Small Schools Grant funding from the province, the school needs at least 35 FTE students. If this benchmark is not met, the school would only receive an estimated $261,302 in grant funding.
In a special board meeting on March 6, GYPSD Superintendent Kurt Scobie said the financial pressures resulting from lost provincial funding would be unsustainable for the division and impact its ability to equitably support all students and schools. As such, he recommended that Fulham Community School close on June 30, 2026.
An administrative report looking into the factors impacting the school noted that Yellowhead County’s population, according to the 2021 Federal Census, is around 10,424, a 5.2 per cent decline from 2016. Additionally, the number of children aged zero to 14 in the county has declined by close to seven per cent in the same period.
In an effort to increase enrolment, the school is exploring developing enhanced programming with an agriculture-focused curriculum, delivered through a natural resource lens. The school also held an open house earlier this month to showcase the benefits of rural education.
The GYPSD Board will make a final decision on the school’s future on April 15. Stakeholders and community members are encouraged to share their input on the matter and stories about the school with the division until April 13.
Yellowhead County council deferred the funding decision during its regular meeting on March 10. County officials note, if the financial support were to be granted, it would be to enhance programming and may not influence the division’s views on the school’s long-term viability.
