SD #27 Board decides to close 4 Schools

Courtesy of School District #27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin):

After much anticipation and a year of countless board meetings and months of consulting with parents, public, staff and students, the Board of Education has made its decision on how to balance the budget while keeping the education of students in the forefront.

"With declining enrolment and dwindling budgets, the Board has made some very difficult decisions tonight. We believe the process we used resulted in excellent feedback and ideas from all our stakeholders. We also recognize that there is not a single option out there that would please everyone. But the Board has listened and tonight's decisions were not made lightly," says Will VanOsch, Chair of the Board of Education.

The Board of Education adopted the Initial Options Report with amendments as its comprehensive long term plan. The final document will be made available on the District's website (http://www.sd27.bc.ca/) over the next couple of days.

Highlights from the meeting include:

100 Mile House Area:

PSO Secondary reconfigured to 8-12
100 Mile House Jr. Secondary recommended closure (final bylaw to be adopted 29 January 2013)
Buffalo Creek Elementary School recommended closure (final bylaw to be adopted 29 January 2013)

Williams Lake Area:

Columneetza and Williams Lake secondary schools reconfigured to a one school, two campus model, grades 7-12 (one campus will be predominantly grades 7-9, the other predominantly grades 10-12)
Glendale Elementary School recommended closure (final bylaw to be adopted 29 January 2013)
Kwaleen Elementary School recommended closure (final bylaw to be adopted 29 January 2013)
Balanced and regular calendars will run in Cataline Elementary School
Wildwood Elementary School to remain open reconfigured to K-6
All current Kwaleen Elementary School students to attend Chilcotin Road Elementary
The remaining elementary schools reconfigured to grades K-6

"With big changes come opportunities," says Superintendent of Schools, Mark Thiessen. "I'm confident that our team will hit the ground running tomorrow to begin a solid implementation process. Our priority will be helping our students and staff to make the smoothest transitions possible into their new situations next year."