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Twelve: the magic number

The school district is proposing to continue the new French Immersion program at Sk'aadgaa Naay elementary as long as enrollment doesn't dip below 12 students.Trustees considered a draft French Immersion policy at the Dec. 15 school board meeting, voting to send the policy out for comment from stakeholders.The draft policy states that the district will provide French Immersion in the primary grades as long as enrollment is sufficient, with the split-grade class moving together as a cohort through the primary and intermediate grades, and with grade 6 being the final year.The policy states that the district will survey the community for interest every year, and establish a class with a maximum three-grade split if at least 20 students enroll. Classes will be closed down if enrollment drops below 12 students by Sept. 30, with the remainder of the year's notice to parents.The Sk'aadgaa Naay French Immersion class is now entering its third year, with 14 students enrolled in a grade 3-4-5 class.In response to questions from Drue Kendrick, parent of a French Immersion student, superintendent Angus Wilson said the district cannot guarantee that it will be able to continue the program. This district is three to five times smaller than the next smallest district offering French Immersion, he said.