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Winnipeg Free Press

Mennonite high school in Gretna won't offer classes in fall, future uncertain

Mennonite Collegiate Institute, a Grade 9-12 high school in Gretna, has announced it is pausing operations. The provincially accredited and supported school, which was established in 1889, will not offer classes in September. Twenty-three teachers and staff will lose their jobs. The length of the pause will be determined by delegates from the school's 11 supporting churches, who will meet July 7 to decide whether to close the school permanently or seek other options for the future. A main reason for shutting down operations for the upcoming school year was cited as lower than hoped-for enrolment that led to financial challenges, said MCI CEO Chris Harms. The school had just 45 students this year, down from 54 in 2023-2024. 'It's been a year-by-year continued slow slide,' he said. Harms also cited a breakdown in relations and loss of support from some rural Mennonite churches over issues such as LGBTTQ+ inclusion. MCI had maintained an open and welcoming stance to all students, but 'there is polarization in the community over this,' he said. The school is also facing challenges raising donations to supplement tuition fees. 'We have counted on some big donors over the years, but donor fatigue is setting in,' Harms said, noting the school could not continue to rely on them to sustain the school's operations. Harms said the goal for the school is to end well, including ensuring teachers and support staff are fully paid for their work. MCI is appealing to its donors to help it raise enough funds to do that. Even before the decision to close, the school was getting by 'month-to-month' on payroll, he said, noting teachers had agreed to reduced salaries and extra work this year to help the school survive. Harms acknowledged the timing of the announcement is unfortunate since it will make it difficult for teachers and other staff to find new positions in other schools. 'Those roles have mostly been filled by now,' he said. The school also has $1.7 million in debt for a mortgage and a line of credit. The decision not to operate next year was not made lightly by the school's board, Harms said, noting that MCI had spent months trying to build the necessary steps to keep it open. But the enrolment issue made the decision impossible to avoid, he said, noting the supporting churches mostly have aging congregations and not many children or youth. He expressed regret about the impact the school's closure will have on students, particularly those in Grade 11 who hoped to graduate from MCI next year. 'That was the hardest group of students to walk through this,' he said. Former MCI board member Karla Klassen Fehr said the news is difficult to hear. 'I see the main issue as enrolment,' said Klassen Fehr, whose husband and two daughters graduated from MCI. 'Without students, donor support can't maintain a school.' She said the school's rural location means there are a limited number of day students who can attend, and parents who live further away are less willing to send their children away for boarding school. 'Sensitive issues' over LGBTTQ+ and theology have strained relations with some local Mennonite churches, she said. 'I'm very sad to see this happen,' Klassen Fehr said. 'MCI has played a huge role in our community, giving students an opportunity for faith-based education that I highly value.' Wil Epp is also a former board member whose three children graduate from MCI. His congregation, Emmanuel Mennonite in Winkler, voted last month to stop supporting the school. The church has few children or youth and is dealing with its own financial issues, Epp said. 'Like many other churches, our church struggles with its budget,' he said, noting supporting MCI had ceased to be a priority for the congregation. Michael Pahl, executive minister of Mennonite Church Manitoba, said the closing of the school is disappointing. Together with Westgate Mennonite Collegiate in Winnipeg, MCI was a 'significant pipeline' for lay leadership and clergy in the denomination, Pahl said, adding the school played a key role in forming faith for many young people over the years. In addition to shrinking and aging rural Mennonite congregations, there is also growing competition from other Christian schools in rural Manitoba, he said. Cost for tuition at MCI was $6,700 a year this year, while students living in dorm were charged $12,500 a year. Out-of-province students paid $19,000 a year for tuition, room and board. That amount included a $6,500 out-of-province fee, as these students were not covered by Manitoba's education grant. MCI is a member of Manitoba Federation of Independent Schools and the Canadian Association of Mennonite Schools. faith@ The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. 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