Under normal conditions, this is a busy time of year at Kitchener’s Steckle Heritage Farm.
Executive director Krista Cressman says the homestead typically sees as many as 120 kids a day coming through during the fall.
It’s enough of a crowd that she takes on additional part-time staff to deal with the influx.
But with public elementary teachers choosing not to take part in field trips, the fall of 2014 isn’t a typical season.
“This year, I’m not hiring any additional bodies,” Cressman said in an interview.
“It’s going to be a tricky year.
By the end of October, Cressman estimates that 1,500 children tour the farm.
This year, they’re on track for something closer to 350 – and that’s assuming no cancellations.
Across town at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, executive director Shirley Madill isn’t about to make that assumption with the two public elementary schools that have booked tours for October.
“We do anticipate there’s a possibility that those will be cancelled,” she said in an interview.
While Catholic students will continue to visit the gallery, Madill says she’s worried about the effect prolonged public teacher job action could have on the organization’s bottom line.
“We do have a revenue line that’s based on our school tours. Every year, we base it on what happens the year before,” she said.
Less worried, at least for now, is THEMUSEUM CEO David Marskell.
“We’re just continuing with our marketing and continuing to hope that we’ll see a decent rise in attendance,” he said Monday.
The museum had 13,000 children visiting during its last fiscal year, Marskell said, up from 9,000 the previous year – and with elementary-age students accounting for the majority of those visits.
Region of Waterloo-run museums and attractions are seeing school bookings at about one-third their usual level, a spokesperson said.
