School District 67
New school closure option presented for Summerland
PENTICTON - The Okanagan Skaha school board is looking at another option as it plans for a possible school closure in Summerland. Board Chair Linda Van Alphen says in an email, feedback from surveys, emails and presentations in Summerland have indicated there may be another publicly acceptable option to closing Giants Head school and moving 350 students...
Okanagan Skaha school district needs can’t be based on long term hopes: board chair
PENTICTON - The chair of Okanagan Skaha school board would like to believe there will be more students moving into the region to attend classes in the future, but won't gamble away potential opportunities for today’s students based on wishful thinking. Chair Linda Van Alphen says none of the proposals out for consideration by the...
Two additional options for Penticton school closures
PENTICTON - The public will get a say on realignment options that include school closures as the local school district continues to deal with declining enrolment. The two new options are the result of comments stemming from a resident attending the Oct. 26 public meeting at the Shatford Centre and were discussed by School District...
Multiple school closures considered for School District 67
PENTICTON - A deficit for the 2016-2017 school year estimated at $1.025 million has forced School District 67 to come up with some tough choices. The school board revealed those options at a public meeting held at Shatford Centre on Monday, Oct. 26. School board chair Linda Van Alphen says seven of the 18 originally...
School closures looming in South Okanagan as enrolment levels decline
PENTICTON - Years of declining school enrolments have taken their toll on School District 67 and the board is finding itself running out of options when it comes to future budget cuts, meaning school closures could be coming. Approximately 60 residents gathered in the IMC Building behind the school board offices Wednesday evening, Oct. 14,...
Reports of school closures in Kaleden and Naramata unfounded
PENTICTON - School enrolment in District 67 is down this year but it’s nothing to panic about yet, says School District 67 Board Chair Linda Van Alphen. The district is down 30 students over last year, which is less than officials had anticipated, Van Alphen says, adding Superintendent Wendy Hyer noted recently a number of...
Okanagan-Skaha school trustees look at cost of living hike
PENTICTON - A pending vote on a pay increase could be bad timing for Okanagan-Skaha school board trustees, from a public perception point of view. The suggestion of a raise comes after the trustees recently passed a budget which included tough cuts to make up for a shortfall of provincial funding. It also comes on...
School superintendent’s salary subject to scrutiny
PENTICTON - School District 67 is getting plenty of reaction to news Superintendent Wendy Hyer was given a significant pay raise at a board meeting last December. “I’ve been on the phone, in interviews all morning,” Chair Linda Van Alphen said today, April 28. The Penticton Herald reported yesterday Wendy Hyer got a $17,000 pay...
School board frustrated with education ministry following AGM address
PENTICTON - B.C. school trustees, including those on the Okanagan-Skaha School Board, want the Minister of Education to live up to its Memorandum of Understanding on Co-Governance with the trustees. Board chair Linda Van Alphen said trustees from across the province expressed that sentiment at the recent Annual General Meeting. Part of Deputy Minister of...
THREATENING LETTER: What Penticton police are telling parents as they prepare for a new school week
PENTICTON - Fears of a continued threat and frustration over communication was on parents’ minds at a community meeting set up by School District 67 following last week’s discovery of a threatening letter at Skaha Lake Middle School. Police and school officials met with students' parents and members of the public to hear their concerns...
RCMP considered risks of making school threat letter public
PENTICTON - The threatening letter found on Penticton school property this week is in the hands of RCMP behavioural experts as they try to sort out who is behind the writing and why they did it. A stack of roughly 30 copies of the letter containing what appears to be a threat by a young...
School district provides update on security measures after finding threatening message
PENTICTON - Following the discovery of a note threatening harm to students at Penticton Secondary School on Feb.18, School District Superintendent Wendy Hyer issued a communication Thursday, Feb. 19 explaining the district’s Threat Assessment Protocol. The protocol was developed in order to respond to situations where students may be a threat to themselves or others....
School board seeking partner input over busing, school calendar
PENTICTON - School District 67 is seeking partner input over the dual issues of too many “courtesy" riders on the bus, and how to manage class time next year. A review of bus routes in School District 67 appears imminent after the school board recently found evidence that one third of the district’s school bus...
Rough ride for Maggie Mustangs to seniors volleyball championships
PENTICTON - Members of Princess Margaret’s Mustangs senior boys volleyball team are working on turning a potential tragedy into triumph in Langley. The boys team left Penticton Tuesday headed for Langley to play in the B.C. Senior Boys Volleyball Championships only to have their bus skid off the Hope - Princeton Highway south of Princeton...
Three trustee spots secured, race continues for others
PENTICTON - Three school trustees already have their spots on the board secured, but the race continues for Penticton area candidates. There are three electoral areas for School District 67: Penticton (four seats), Summerland (two seats), and surrounding rural areas (one seat). Ginny Manning will hold her spot on the board since she has no...