Students not complaining about vote NOT to shorten summer vacation

VERNON – A Vernon elementary school is going to stick with the traditional two months of summer vacation following a vote on a proposal to adopt a year round calendar.

Mission Hill Elementary needed 90 per cent of the school community, including parents, teachers and administration to vote in favour of the change but only 41 per cent did.

Principal Lynne Gibson says there are some disappointed parents but she feels the process was a great success, never mind the results.

“One hundred per cent of ballots were returned. Just being able to have parents participate is a huge win for us,” Gibson says. “It doesn’t matter which way they voted, it’s about engagement and giving them a voice.”

Given that just under half the school community was interested in the switch, Gibson says they’ll definitely be revisiting the matter down the road. It might mean approaching things from a different angle, such as a dual track, where half the school is on the conventional schedule and half on the year-round calendar.

“For now it’s being put on hold, but we’ll try to keep the conversation alive,” Gibson says.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infotelnews.ca or call 250-309-5230.