School's prospects dim

Page 2

The struggling Plains Indian Cultural Survival School has managed to keeps its doors open for another year, but staff and students are facing an uncertain future.

"Next year does not look promising," said school principal Jerry Arshinoff.

Of the urban high school's 429 students, 305 are adults, most of them 20 to 23 years old. Calgary school board trustees voted to cut funding in 1993 for all over-age students not covered by adult education grants. That would mean refusing an education to about three-quarters of the students, Arshinoff said.

"One of the arguments that has been given to us is that these students could go

to continuing education somewhere else," he said. But some students have been to continuing education courses and vocational training and they end up dropping out because they feel uncomfortable.

Arshinoff hopes the October elections will bring in new school board trustees who will reconsider the move by the current board to cut funding.

"The cost isn't as great as they think and the need is tremendous. In the long run the provincial government isn't going to save any money at all. A number of our students might end up on welfare if they cannot come here."

Arshinoff has also started discussions with other levels of government, trying to arrange funding, but's too early to tell what the response will be.