Saskatchewan

Security person to be added to La Loche school

When school reopens in La Loche, Sask., later this winter there will be extra security people at work, the provincial government says.

Following Jan. 22 shootings in Saskatchewan village, schools remain closed for now

Security at La Loche Community School will be enhanced when classes resumes, the province says. (Matt Kruchak/CBC)

When school reopens in La Loche, Sask., later this winter there will be extra security people at work, the provincial government says.

The high school portion of La Loche Community School was the scene of a mass shooting on Friday that claimed the lives of a teacher, Adam Wood, 35, and an educational assistant, Marie Janvier, 21.

Two teens in the community, brothers Dayne and Drayden Fontaine, aged 17 and 13 respectively, were fatally shot in a home.

A 17-year-old boy has charged with four counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder. 

Normally, some 300 to 350 students are enrolled in the Grade 7 to Grade 12 high school. About 500 students attend the kindergarten to Grade 6 school, which is in a separate building.

However, since the shootings, classes have been cancelled.

The Northern Lights School Division said it's developing a plan in consultation with parents and community to reopen the school.

Officials say the school will definitely not resume next week.

The school division met with teachers today to discuss options for where students might attend

At a meeting with parents on Tuesday, the division said it is prepared to add extra security which will involve putting a person inside the school to build relationships with students and staff.

It hasn't been decided yet whether that will be a security guard, a school resource officer or a member of the RCMP.

The plan is that the enhanced security will be permanent, although staffing decisions will have to be made, reviewed, and reconfirmed on an annual basis, officials said.

Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan told a media briefing that the key thing is helping school children feel free from threat. In the short term and the long term, that means any kind of request from school to implement security will be considered, he said.