School closures recommended in the North Okanagan-Shuswap district
NORTH OKANAGAN – A number of school closures are being eyed in the North Okanagan.
In a long term facilities plan released this week by School District 83, recommendations are made to consider shutting down and amalgamating schools over the next couple of years — all because enrolment numbers are beginning to stabilize after years of decline.
The district has been in funding protection mode for the past several years, which means the amount of money generated per student is increased by the province to help lessen the impact of declining enrolment and funds. With enrolment expected to stabilize within the next couple of years, the district will no longer receive funding protection, district communications officer Alice Hucul said.
“With dollars tight even with the extra funding, the district is looking at all areas to see what we can do to help reduce operating costs so we can use our funds as effectively as possible, to offer as best an education program as possible, to our students,” Hucul said.
School trustees will be asked to consider the report’s recommendations at a board meeting Mar. 10.
Among the recommendations are to close Silver Creek Elementary in Salmon Arm and redistribute students to other elementary schools in the city. In Sicamous, the board will be asked to consider closing Parkview Elementary and converting Eagle River Secondary to a K-12 school. In Armstrong, the board will be looking at closing Len Wood Middle School and making Pleasant Valley Secondary a grade 6-12 school. In the Enderby area, the possibility of shutting down Grindrod Elementary and redistributing students to M.V. Beattie or Ranchero Elementary Schools will be reviewed.
The board will also consider disposing of several properties no longer being used by the district.
If the board approves any recommendations, a 60 day consultation period will be held before changes are finalized.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
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21 responses
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Reading all of the comments, leaves me with the thought that nobody wants their school closed, but….somebody’s school will be closed, it’s very real! I hate just as much as all of you for this to happen. I think everyone should stop complaining unless you are willing to do something about it! Go to the board meeting that Katie Tabor has mentioned and bind together – one may fall but in numbers many will stand instead.I grew up in Armstrong – AES & Len Wood were elementary K-7 then came Jr. High with 8 & 9 after that to PVSS for 10, 11 & 12. That was great but, I think that the set up as is right now is really good too! If they did close the Middle school, I don’t know what set up would look like after – I really would not like to see K – 12 in any school – just too much age difference and yet I cannot see K-7 in AES or HPE – I don’t think they have room for the number of students there would be! I’m so glad that I don’t work on the Board and have to make such decisions! I really don’t think the raise that the teachers got has anything to do with these cutbacks – I think it probably has to be with the Balanced Budget that the government says they have -they need the schools to cut back so that it might look a little better (it will, too except for the future of our kids)! lolI think it’s time to stand up and fight (TOGETHER)for what we want!
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So sad to hear about the school closures so many affected students and teachers alike.
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certainly seems no problem with financing by the look of the gigantic new school district building – boils my blood every time I drive by!Why isn’t this money in the class room!
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Who’s idea is it to put 10 – 11 year olds in with 17-19 year old? That’s why we live in Armstrong because it has better school set up! What no money left for schools now that teachers got a raise!
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I went to Eagle River years ago when it was K- 12… ( from grade 4-12, I was there) this is a bad idea!!!!!! The opened Parkview when I went into grade 8…just not a good plan to have all that age difference! And you want to talk bulling? Just make this move and you will see!
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horrible idea, putting younger children with older teens. In alberta we had 1-6 then Jr. high school which was 7, 8 & 9, then high school with 10-12…made sense 25 years ago…still does….all because of money, the things we put our kids through =(.
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I am not sure I agree with this comment. My husband teaches in Sicamous and they make a very concerted effort to offer all upper level academic courses. May I ask what courses she would be missing? These kinds of comments split the public and we need to be a united front or we will lose this very important battle.
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Parents need to write the School Board and/or attend the Board meeting this week. We need to be a strong, collective voice. It is only the parents at this point that have any power in trying to stop this.
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When I went to school there was Grade 8 to 12 in the same school.The older kids were our mentors and we used to wish we were them some day.It is not all bad.Besides the older kids had ethics and morals to not entice the younger kids into sexual relations etc and parents watched out for their kids.
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As a grade 6 teacher who recently retired, I am opposed to including any grade 6 class in a high school setting. They are still very young, very impressionable, and haven’t had a chance to develop leadership skills. Most haven’t even reached puberty. These characteristics make them impressionable and susceptible to behaviours of older students, several of which are not positive. A group of my peers often considered grade 7s as able to handle high school, provided they were moved at the half time mark of their school year, but not before.
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I agree grade 6 is way to young to put them in a high school setting. If Len wood closes I would rather see them kept at Highland park or A.E.S until grade 7 just the same as all the other districts.
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Alter the system slightly to add in other agencies that serve people in the community. IE. dedicate a wing of the school to a daycare, senior rec center, non-profit organizations, etc instead of closing the entire building. Community Schools are so important.
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can you imagine K – 12 in the same school?I know I certainly wouldn’t want my K to grade 7 or 8 with the 9 – 12 grades! Why don’t they bus in the grade 9 – 12 kids into Salmon Arm so that at least the kids get the courses they need and the selection of all courses, especially electives.My granddaughter has to take a whole year at college just to be able to get the courses she needs for University for her career choice because they are/were not available in Sicamous. She has all the credits to graduate but not the courses for her career choice.Plain stupid!Sicamous came to Salmon Arm when I graduated back in 1965! why not again?
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I fear for the children grade 6 being mixed among high school kidsbad idea 11 year olds don’t need to be put in a worse bullying situation I can see it them getting to much pressure , and 14-18 yrsold student picking on the smaller younger students .
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the comunity is smaller then silver creek but still schools almost 300 studentsthis borught numbers up and saved on transportation.
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I have to say I recently moved from salmon arm and my kids know attend a school that is k-12 and I have never had such an amazing support for my kids.however on saying that the school they go to is a rural school but in stead of closing it they made it itself a k-12 and this way high school students don’t need to take such long bus routs into town to attend classes it has been a very positive experience for us.
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Silver Creek School is the heart of our community.It has been here since 1902.If we lose the school, we also lose our library.Please keep our community whole and keep our school open.
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I heard they are closing Care Homes ( not filling spaces) as people die in Amsterdam….and turning the buildings into refugee centres for Syrians..it is a changing world
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