Two high schools on a list of proposed closures in Vancouver

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Britannia and Gladstone Secondary are two high schools on a list of 12 schools shortlisted for closure in Vancouver.

The list also includes six elementary schools and four annexes.

The Vancouver School Board (VSB) could save at least $8.2 million in this move.

The VSB says a final decision on any closures won’t happen until December.

The Board says the closures have to happen to get seismic upgrade funding from the provincial government.

The closures would impact the 2017 school year.

Here is the entire list:

  • Queen Elizabeth Annex (K – 3)
  • Champlain Heights Annex (K – 3)
  • Tecumseh Annex (K – 3)
  • McBride Annex (K – 3)
  • Dr AR Lord Elementary
  • Admiral Seymour Elementary
  • Graham D Bruce Elementary
  • Sir Guy Carleton Elementary
  • Queen Alexandra Elementary
  • Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary
  • Britannia Secondary
  • Gladstone Secondary

 

The VSB issued a release with some of the criteria they used to compile this list.

  • Reducing the number of school facilities will reduce operating costs and allow funds to be redirected to educational programing
  • Supporting VSB requests for Ministry of Education funding to complete the seismic mitigation program as quickly as possible
  • Providing sites for temporary accommodation of school communities undergoing seismic construction, enabling the timely completion of seismic upgrading
  • Supporting district funding requests for the construction of new schools in areas experiencing significant population growth
  • Reducing the overall cost of facility maintenance including significant deferred maintenance requirements across VSB schools

 

The VSB is assuring parents this list is not set in stone and there will be months of consultation. Staff will take the summer to prepare reports on the impact of each of the closures. There will be weeks of public consultation in October and November. The board will likely make a final decision on any closures in December. The closures would take effect at the end of next school year with the exception of Admiral Seymour Elementary. It would not close until 2018 due to seismic upgrading at the school set to absorb the students.

VSB Chair Mike Lombardi says they must comply with the Ministry of Education’s requirement for schools to have at least 95 per cent enrolment rates.

“If there was a capacity utilization formula of 85 per cent, the Vancouver School Board would not have any problem in terms of that. So, it’s driven by a capacity utilization formula which, of course, was only brought in two to three years and only applies to, apparently, large, urban school districts.”

Lombardi says they’ve been told no more seismic upgrades will happen unless they meet the 95 per cent threshold. He says they’ve heard parents would rather have fewer safe schools than have to send their children to crumbling facilities.

Education Minister Mike Bernier denies the ministry ever had a requirement of 95 per cent capacity in exchange for seismic upgrade funding.

“All of the investments we’ve made have proceeded despite the fact Vancouver is well below 95 per cent goal. We have never said we will not do a seismic upgrade until the district or school is at 95 per cent.”

Bernier says amalgamating schools will lead to more services for students and parents as the remaining schools will have the funding to offer a greater variety of programs.

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